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GET  MORE  OUT 

OF  YOUR  FACTORY 


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93  SHORT  CUTS  THAT 
HAVE  PUT  82  FACTORIES 

ON  A  BETTER  PAYING  BASIS 


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GIFT  OF 
Western  Advertising 


HOW  TO  GET 

MORE  OUT  OF  YOUR 

FACTORY 

A  FACTORY  MANAGER'S  NOTE-BOOK 
OF  COST-CUTTING  EXPERIENCES— HOW 
TO   GET   THE   LARGEST    RETURN    FROM 
LABOR— HOW  TO  INCREASE  MACHINE   OUT- 
PUT—HOW NEW    EQUIPMENT    HAS 
BROUGHT  RESULTS— HOW  BUILD- 
INGS HELP  TO  PAY  PROFITS 


93  SPECIFIC  WORKING  PLANS  BY 
WHICH  82  AGGRESSIVE  MANAGERS 
HAVE  CUT  THEIR  FACTORY  COSTS 


FOURTH  EDITION 


THE  SYSTEM  COMPANY 

CHICAGO        NEW  YORK 

A.  W.  SHAW  COMPANY,  LTD.,  LONDON 

1911 


How  TO  INCREASE  YOUR  SALES 
How  TO  DOCBLE  THE  DAY'S  WORK 
How  TO  REDUCE  FACTORY  COSTS 
How  TO  INCREASE  THE  SALES  OF  THE  STORE 
How  TO  INCREASE  A  BANK'S  DEPOSITS 
How  TO  SELL  REAL  ESTATE  AT  A  PROFIT 
How  TO  SELL  MORE  FIRE  INSURANCE 
How  TO  SELL  MORE  LIFE  INSURANCE 
How  TO  WRITE  LETTERS  THAT  WIN 


Others  in   Preparation 


»      ^COPYRIGHT,  1909,  BY       ' 

THE:SYSTEM  COMPANY: 


CONTENTS 


PAST  I 

GETTING  THE  LARGEST  RETURN  FROM  LABOR 
Study  Your  Men 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    WHERE  TO  LOOK  FOR  LEAKS 10 

II.    TIME  KEEPING  METHODS 12 

An  Effective   Time  Keeping  System 12 

Duplicate  Check  System  that  Proved  Efficient..  14 

The  Clock  As  a  Straw  Boss 16 

Simple  Time  Card  for  Workmen 17 

III.  WAGE  PAYING  SYSTEMS 21 

Putting  the  Best  Man  on  the  Job 21 

Wage  Payment  Plan  That  Brought  Results 22 

Determining  Piece  Prices  Accurately 24 

Gearing  up  the  Working  Force 26 

Reducing  Non-productive  Labor 27 

A  Simple  System  for  Finding  Costs 28 

IV.  EFFICIENCY  PRODUCERS   29 

Four  Truckers  Instead  of  Ten 29 

Getting  in  Quick  Touch  with  Executives 30 

Supervision  Basis  of  Cost  Economy 31 

How  Electric  Fans  Increased  Output 33 

A  Card  Record  History  of  Employees 33 

PART  II 

GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 
Make  for  the  Making's  Sake 

V.    REDUCING  COSTS  BY  STUDYING  MACHINES 36 

Chalk  Talks  for  Designers 36 

Saving  Time  in  Grinding  Tools 39 

Using  the  Trucking  Force 40 

Team  System  for  Cleaning  Machinery 41 


M525975 


6  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

Getting  the  Most  out  of  Machines 42 

Saving  Time  in  Handling  Work 43 

Saving  Duplicate  Machinery 44 

Reducing  Pattern  Shop  Breakage 45 

A  Labor  Saving  Pattern  Bench 46 

A  Quick  Method  of  Soldering 47 

VI.    HANDLING  MATERIAL  ECONOMICALLY 49 

What  Was  Saved  from  the  Sweepings 49 

Cheapening  the  Cost  of  Raw  Material 50 

Making  Non-productive  Time  Productive 51 

A  Supplies  Patrol  that  Economized  Time 52 

Facts  as  a  Basis  for  Buying  Cheaply 53 

Handling  Cotton  Waste  Economically 53 

VII.    FACTORY  SYSTEMS  THAT  HAVE  CUT  COSTS 59 

Graphic  Hurry-up  System 59 

Safe  Guarding  Order  Form 60 

How  a  Foreman  Pushed  Orders 62 

Labor  and  Progress  Records  to  Increase  Output.  63 

Cutting  Costs  in  Raw  Material 64 

Keeping  Stock  in  a  Flour  Mill 67 

Keeping  Output  at  Maximum 68 

Distributing  General  Expense 70 

System  That  Saved  Labor  in  the  Shipping  Room.   75 


PART  III 

EQUIPMENT    THAT    INSURES    MAXIMUM    PRODUCTION 
Cutting  the  Cost 

VIII.    PRODUCING  POWER  AT  LOWEST  COST 78 

How  Inspection  Systems  Save  Power 78 

What  Gas  Power  Costs  in  a  Textile  Plant 79 

Rope  Drives  for  Quick  Turna 82 

A  Plan  for  Keeping  Shafting  Clean 84 

A  Time  Saving  Motor  Record 84 

Department  Power  Records  That  Save  Fuel ....  86 

Saving  Money  on  Belting 88 

Three  Schemes  for  Reducing  Friction  Load. ...  89 

How  Shafting  Hangers  Can  be  Quickly  Shifted.  90 

A  Meter  Record  That  Stopped  a  Leak 93 

Keeping  Up  Steam  Pressure 94 

Holding  an  Engine  at  Work 94 


CONTENTS  7 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

IX.    KEEPING  THE  PRODUCT  MOVING 96 

Thirty  Hours  Saved  by  a  Crane 96 

Conveying  Goods  Cheaply  by  Air 97 

Handling  Coal  Economically  in  Power  Plants...  97 

Novel  Method  of  Transporting  Grain 98 

Making  One  Hoist  Serve  for  Three 99 

Saving  Time  by  Department  Telephones 99 

Trucks  That  Save  Steps 100 

Getting  Parts  to  Workmen  Quickly 101 

Narrow  Gauge  Tracks  for  Quick  Service 101 

Truck  for  Handling  Varnished  Parts 102 

X.    MAKING    ENVIRONMENT    COUNT    ON    THE    BALANCE 

SHEET   104 

Plumbing  That  Cut  Heating  Bills 104 

Saving  Light  Cost  in  a  Textile  Plant 104 

An  Effective  Individual  Light. 105 

How  an  Incandescent  Lamp  Increased  Efficiency .  106 

Lighting  That  Increased  Output 107 

Economical  Low  Pressure  Steam  Heater Ill 

An  Efficient  Dust  Collecting  Hood 112 

XI.    PROTECTING  AGAINST  ACCIDENT  AND  FIRE 114 

Smothering  Fire  with  Live  Steam 114 

Two  Guards  That  Save  Accident  Expense 114 

Economical  Hinged  Belt  Cover 115 

A  Sprinkler  System  That  Will  Not  Freeze 116 

Furniture  That  Prevents  Fire  Loss 116 

Organizing   Against   Fires 117 

Inexpensive  Shield  for  Set  Screws ....118 

An  Emergency  Engine  Stop 119 


PAST  IV 

MAKING  THE  BUILDING  HELP  PAY  PEOFITS 
Build  to  Fit  Business 

XII.    BUILDING  PLANS  THAT  SAVE  MONET 12fc 

Builders'  Afterthoughts  That  Proved  Costly 122 

Putting  up  a  Plant  in  a  Hurry 123 

Making  the  Most  of  Floor  Space 124 

Profits  from  Cement  Construction 126 

Penny  Eegulations  That  Save  Dollars 129 


8  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XIII.    BUILDING  EQUIPMENT  THAT  INCREASES  OUTPUT.  ...131 

Worth-while  Details  of  Construction 131 

A  Foundry  That  'B  a  Crystal  Palace 132 

Twenty-eight  Per  Cent  in  Storing  Coal 133 

Giving  the  Workmen  Good  Light 133 

How  Sewage  is  Economically  Disposed  of 136 

A  Money  Saving  Shipping  Platform 137 

Where  Underground  Pipes  Save  Floor  Space. ..  .139 

An  Inexpensive  Eoof  Drainage  Scheme 140 

Shop  Floors  For  Good  Service 140 

Drying  Varnish  by  Electricity 142 

Department  Arrangement  That  Paid 143 


HALF-TONE  PLATES 

PLATE  PAGE 

I.    FRONTISPIECE   2 

II.    LIFE  SIZE  DRAFTING 19 

III.  A  WELL  ORDERED  TOOL  EOOM 20 

IV.  A  GRAPHIC  PROGRESS  RECORD 37 

V.    ELECTRIC  METER  ACCOUNTING 38 

VI.  SHAFTING  ON  STILTS 55 

VII.  ELECTRIC  CRANE  FOR  LOCOMOTIVES 56 

VIII.  ELECTRIC  LIGHTING  FIXTURE 73 

IX.  A  SWINGING  JIB  CRANE 74 

X.  A  POWER  PLANER  GUARD 91 

XI.  A  HINGED  BELT  SHIELD 91 

XII.  MERCURY  VAPOR  LAMPS  FOR  THE  FACTORY 92 

XIII.  A  MODEL  FOUNDRY  BUILDING 109 

XIV.  UNDER- WATER  STORAGE  FOR  COAL 110 

XV.  AN  ENCLOSED  SHIPPING  PLATFORM 127 

XVI.    AN    INGENIOUS   INSPECTION   DEPARTMENT   ARRANGE- 
MENT    ...128 


Part  I 


GETTING  THE  LARGEST 
RETURN  FROM  LABOR 

Study  Your  Men 

OOME  men  have   that  within   them   which  always 
spurs  them  on;  while  some  need  artificial  initiative, 
outside  encouragement. 

Some  men  extend  themselves  under  stern  discipline; 
some  respond  only  to  a  gentle  rein. 

Some  men  need  driving;  some  coaxing.  Some  need 
the  spur;  some  the  sugar  lump. 

Some  men  do  their  best  with  work  piled  shoulder  high ; 
some  must  have  it  given  them  a  piece  at  a  time. 

Some  men  thrive  on  discouragement;  some  cannot 
work  without  cheerfulness. 

Study  men — the  men  over  you,  under  you,  around  you. 
Study  them  and  learn  how  to  get  from  each  the  most 
that  is  in  him. 


CHAPTER  I 
Where  to  Look  for  Leaks 

A  FACTORY  manager  was  on  a  trip  through  many 
plants,  seeking  ideas  that  save  money.  Not  expect- 
ing to  find  all  cost-reducing  plans  in  factories  where 
goods  similar  to  his  own  were  made,  he  visited  a  diver- 
sified lot  of  shops. 

He  was  a  shoe  manufacturer.  In  a  breakfast  food 
plant  he  found  cereal  cartons  being  shipped  in  fiber 
containers — cheaper,  lighter  and  easier  to  set  up  than 
the  wooden  crates  he  was  shipping  shoes  in.  When  he 
adopted  this  idea  in  his  own  plant  he  figured  his  sav- 
ings at  $12.70  a  day— $10.00  on  the  cases,  $1.00  on  labor 
of  handling  and  $1.70  on  freight  charges. 

This  instance  is  typical  of  more  than  one  hundred 
other  ideas  in  this  book,  that  have  proved  money  savers 
for  the  managers  in  the  shops  where  they  have  been 
installed.  This  book  is  an  exchange  of  ideas — the  se- 
lected fruit  of  many  trips. 

Each  scheme  has  been  used  by  some  factory  mana- 
ger— has  cut  costs — has  saved  money.  They  will  do  the 
same  for  you — if  you  apply  them.  Because  a  certain 
method,  short-cut  or  plan  has  been  successfully  adopted 
in  a  textile  mill — that  fact  does  not  forbid  its  adoption 
in  a  wood  or  iron  working  plant.  The  shoe  manufac- 


WHERE  TO  LOOK  FOB  LEAKS  11 

turer  found  a  good  idea  in  a  breakfast  food  "foundry;" 
the  built-in  shipping  platform  that  saves  coal  for  a  ma- 
chine tool  maker,  will  be  just  as  economical  in  a  knit- 
ting mill. 

When  you  take  a  trip  through  a  factory,  there  are 
in  general  four  different  headings  you  can  post  in  your 
note-book : 

I.     Getting  the  Largest  Return  for  Labor. 
II.     Economies   in   Production   Methods. 

III.  Equipping  the  Plant. 

IV.  Building  the  Factory. 

This  book  leads  you  through  a  hundred  factories  in 
the  same  order,  and  points  out  the  money-saving  ideas 
in  each.  Under  the  first  head  you  will  find  methods  of 
hiring,  directing,  paying  and  working  labor — schemes  of 
getting  more  output  from  men.  Logical  methods  of  tool 
arrangement,  new  ways  of  routing  and  grouping  work, 
order  and  stock  keeping  systems — all  tried  out  and  found 
to  be  cost-reducing — are  gathered  under  the  second  head. 
Methods  that  have  lowered  cost  of  power  generation, 
distribution  and  utilization,  methods  of  handling  ma- 
terials, lighting,  heating  and  ventilating  are  grouped 
under  the  third  head.  The  schemes  for  cost  cutting  in 
the  location,  arrangement  and  erection  of  your  factory 
appear  under  the  fourth  head. 

Each  specific  scheme  and  method  and  device— prac- 
tical, tried-out,  applicable — will  cut  cents  from  your 
production  cost,  and  add  dollars  to  your  profit. 


WATCH  the   little  points.     They 
spell  success  or  failure;  they  are 
treacherous ;  they  will  knife  your  profits. 


CHAPTER  II 
Time  Keeping  Methods 

NOWHERE  is  the  accurate  figuring  of  time  and 
costs  more  important  than  in  the  manufacturing 
plant — whether  it  be  large  or  small.  To  keep  correct 
account  of  the  exact  time  spent  on  each  piece  of  work 
during  its  entire  progress  through  the  factory  is  a  diffi- 
cult task  for  the  cost  department  without  a  simple,  un- 
involved  and  quick  method  of  arriving  at  the  desired 
figures. 

The  following  system  for  recording  the  exact  amount 
of  time  expended  on  each  job  has  been  in  use  for  some 
time  in  a  large  electrical  manufacturing  plant  and  has 
stood  the  test  of  practicability  in  every  branch  of  the 
concern.  It  can  be  applied  in  almost  any  manufactur- 
ing business,  with  decided  advantages  in  the  way  of 
simplicity  and  accuracy. 

Under  this  method  the  entire  record  of  time  spent  by 
each  employee  on  any  piece  of  work  and  the  material 
used  therefor  is  included  on  one  small  time  ticket  only 
4x6  inches  in  size.  On  this  ticket  (Form  I)  is  printed 
every  bit  of  data  required  for  all  ordinary  jobs,  includ- 
ing the  name  of  the  employee  and  his  department;  the 
order  number;  a  printed  list  of  the  materials  and  oper- 
ations that  the  department  takes  care  of,  for  checking 


TIME   KEEPING  METHODS 


13 


the  particular  work  at  hand;  spaces  for  registering  the 
time  of  the  start  and  finish,  and  a  series  of  numbers 
to  check  off  the  total  time  used  on  the  one  piece  of 
work.  Space  is  also  provided  for  notation  in  case  of 
an  unusual  operation. 

When  an  employee  in  any  department  starts  on  a  job 
he  is  given  one  of  these  time  tickets.  He  immediately 
goes  to  the  time  clock  and  stamps  the  slip  with  the  time 
he  starts  the  work.  Then  he  simply  draws  a  line  through 
the  piece  worked  on  and  its  operation,  and  his  duty  so  far 
as  the  record  is  concerned  is  practically  done.  This 
method  is  doubly  valuable,  as  under  old  record  systems, 
considerable  time  was  spent  in  deciphering  the  illegible 
handwriting  of  some  employees,  which  was  an  annoying 
item  of  expense.  When  the  work  is  completed,  the  ticket 
is  again  stamped,  to  show  the  finish  time,  and  after  it 
is  0.  K.'d  by  the  department  foreman,  is  sent  to  the 


ORDER  NO.   ._3..!?7._      MACHINE    DEPT.    NO.   3.      DRAWING  No. 
CLOCK  NO.  _JZ£_     RATe'...>.^;;;>  AMOUNT-.  ^  ,     NAME!  ^. 


I/I  i>2  i   3  i  41  5  i   6  I  7  j  8  i  9  i  10  t  11  \  12:i_ 
13  V 14  j  15  r  16  S IT' S 18  \  19  y2pj 21  j  22  |23i24^| ". 


OPERATIONS 


|jttl.  14    4  «P.  M.    1907 


Korm  I:  On  this  time  card,  the  employee  simply  checks  the  work  he   is  engaged  at. 
This  scheme  has  been  found  to  facilitate  accounting  and  minimize  clerical  errors 


14    GETTING  RETURNS  FROM  LABOR 

cost  department,  where  the  time  is  figured  up  and  en- 
tered merely  by  drawing  a  line  through  one  of  the  24 
numbers  on  the  slip  to  show  the  hours  of  time  consumed. 
To  indicate  a  quarter  or  half -hour,  the  line  is  extended 
through  one  of  the  smaller  figures. 

In  the  case  of  the  record  slip  shown,  the  employee, 
whose  clock  number  is  376,  started  to  face  a  coupling 
according  to  drawing  No.  17693,  order  No.  8794,  at  11 :25 
o'clock,  July  14,  and  finished  the  operation  at  4:42  the 
same  day,  so  that  the  cost  department  in  a  moment  was 
able  to  register  the  total  amount  of  time,  which  was 
four  and  one-fourth  hours.  At  the  rate  of  22%  cents 
an  hour  the  labor  cost  of  this  job  was  96  cents.  This 
amount  is  transferred  to  the  regular  order  and  added  to 
the  other  cost  items. 

By  this  method  of  record  both  the  labor  cost  and 
the  exact  progress  or  location  of  the  job  can  always  be 
learned  at  a  glance,  without  wasting  the  time  of  fore- 
men in  answering  questions. 

Duplicate  Check  System  That  Proved  Efficient 

I  HAVE  seen  the  time-keeping  puzzle  solved  in  all 
sorts  of  styles,  and  have  come  to  the  point  where  I 
stand  with  the  majority  and  favor  a  mechanical  control 
worked  with  one  or  another  of  the  clock  methods.  But 
my  faith  has  had  shocks,  though  I  do  not  yet  acknowledge 
a  change  of  heart/'  said  a  factory  superintendent. 

"One  of  my  old-time  acquaintances  has  a  check  sys- 
tem. Two  numbered  checks  are  deposited  daily  by 
each  employee.  One  check  is  deposited  at  the  start  in 
the  morning,  the  other  one  is  handed  in  at  noon  after 
lunch.  The  pair  of  checks  can  be  put  on  a  numbered 
board  by  the  time-keeper  or  an  assistant.  The  workmen 
take  their  checks  home  or  not  as  they  choose.  The  checks 


TIME   KEEPING  METHODS  15 

are  conveniently  located  near  the  door  and  prominently 
in  sight. 

"Now,  as  every  factory  man  appreciates,  there  is 
nothing  new  about  this  check  system  so  far,  but  hear 
what  the  superintendent  said  when  I  hammered  the 
idea:  'You  see,  this  is  a  four-story  building.  Every 
minute  counts.  A  man  gets  here  on  time.  He  could 
ring  up  if  we  had  a  clock,  drop  a  check  into  a  box  or 
do  anything  else  on  the  ground  floor.  Then  he  can  walk 
upstairs  or  take  the  elevator.  On  any  floor  he  may  halt, 
loiter,  if  he  pleases ;  but  the  clock  or  the  old  check  system 
takes  no  account  of  it.  Superficially  the  system  is  0.  K., 
but  it  is  weak  when  put  to  test.  Most  of  our  men  are  on 
piece  work,  but  it  is  a  pernicious  plan  that  allows  men 
to  loaf  unseen  by  us,  even  when  they  figure  that  it  is 
on  their  own  time.  The  example  is  bad.  The  factory 
is  a  workshop,  first  and  last.  Now  take  a  look  at  these 
checks. 

"  'These  checks  are  made  in  as  many  sizes  as  we  have 
floors.  A  tube  runs  up  to  each  floor,  and  the  inlets  fit 
these  checks.  A  man  working  on  the  top  floor  can  not 
drop  his  checks  on  any  other.  He  has  to  be  in  sight  of 
his  work,  and  is  ready  for  business  when  he  puts  himself 
on  record. 

"  'The  checks  can  all  be  alike  for  that  matter.  Have 
separate  tubes  and  outlets  to  correspond  with  them.  The 
outlets  can  lead  to  receptacles  and  the  latter  may  be 
changed  punctually  at  the  starting  time,  thus  affording  a 
close  check  on  the  whereabouts  of  workmen  at  that  mo- 
ment— this  can  and  should  be  done  unobtrusively,  and 
none  but  the  clerk  know  of  it. 

'The  fact  that  the  clerk  enters  into  the  transaction 
in  any  way,  is  the  weak  point  in  all  check  systems  in 
comparison  with  mechanical  methods  of  keeping  time 


16    GETTING  RETURNS  FROM  LABOR 

records.     The  infallibility  of  a  clerk,  with  the  best  in- 
tentions, can  not  be  relied  upon.*  ! 

The  Clock  as  a  Straw  Boss 

I  HAVE  charge  of  a  small  machine  shop  where  goods 
have  to  be  pushed  as  much  as  possible  in  order  to 
compete  with  larger  firms,"  said  a  factory  manager. 
* '  It  is  therefore  necessary  to  see  that  the  work  is  carried 
on  at  a  good  pace  and  that  no  time  is  lost  on  a  job. 

"Our  work  is  of  such  a  nature  that  quality  has  to  be 
standard  so  that  in  urging  the  men  to  their  best  efforts, 
it  is  necessary  very  closely  to  inspect  the  output.  Few 
men,  even  among  those  who  rush  their  work,  even  watch 
to  see  how  long  it  takes,  but  the  habit  is  easily  formed. 

"Suppose  a  new  man  enters  the  shop,  and  he  receives 
a  bunch  of  fifty  bearings  to  turn  and  bore;  after  he  is 
fairly  started,  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  pass  by  his  machine 
and  ask  him  how  long  it  takes  to  do  one  of  the  bearings. 
Ten  chances  to  one  he  will  not  know,  but  a  little  later 
you  may  see  him  turning  them  out  much  faster. 

*  *  If  you  call  his  attention  to  this,  he  will  be  sure  to  tell 
you  that  he  gets  one  out  every  ten  minutes,  perhaps,  but 
that  if  he  had  a  little  stiffer  boring  tool  he  could  turn 
out  the  job  considerably  faster. 

"In  another  instance,  a  workman  will  stop  you  when 
you  are  passing  and  ask  whether  certain  bushings  could 
be  made  a  little  shorter.  If  a  quarter  of  an  inch  could 
come  off  of  each  one,  they  could  be  turned  out  consid- 
erably quicker.  He  knows  this  because  he  has  been 
watching  the  clock.  He  knows  it  takes  time  to  cut  them, 
and  he  also  remarks  that  the  bushing  is  made  of  bronze, 
and  that  bronze  costs  money.  His  suggestions  therefore 
not  only  save  time  but  considerable  metal,  since  the 
bushings  are  turned  out  in  large  quantities.  He  is  a 


TIME   KEEPING  METHODS 


17 


specialist— a  consulting  engineer— in  his  little  depart- 
ment, and  his  words  will  often  mean  money  to  you." 

Simple  Time  Card  for  Workmen 

THE  problem  in  most  time  cards  made  out  by  the 
individual  workmen  to  keep  check  of  the  time  spent 
on  each  job,  is  to  minimize  the  amount  of  time  neces- 
sary for  making  the  record  and  to  make  the  record  itself 
so  simple  that  any  workman  can  handle  it  correctly.  If 
a  time  card  is  complicated  it  will  do  more  harm  than 
good,  for  the  workman  may  make  many  mistakes  in  en- 
tering up  his  record,  and  it  is  also  very  easy  to  make  the 
time  record  so  full  that  it  swallows  up  precious  time. 

The  time  card  shown  in  Form  II  is  designed  to  meet 
these  two  problems.  Its  main  feature  is  the  clock  face 
printed  on  it,  by  means  of  which  the  workman  records 
bis  time. 


rUHN.  BORE  AND  FACE 


UNO  MILL  WORK 


Form  II:  A  simple  time  card  which  materially  diminishes  clerical  help  in  the  factory 


18    GETTING  RETURNS  FROM  LABOR 

The  workman  makes  out  a  new  card  for  each  job  upon 
which  he  works.  He  fills  in  the  requisite  number  or  the 
quantity  of  pieces  he  is  working  on,  enters  his  own  num- 
ber and  date  of  month  on  the  face  of  the  clock  in  the 
"check  here"  column  opposite  the  operation  he  per- 
forms upon  the  job. 

Now  suppose  he  begins  work  on  this  job  at  7  o'clock 
in  the  morning  and  finishes  it  at  9 :45 ;  he  simply  draws 
a  line  with  his  pencil  around  the  outside  of  the  clock's 
face  from  the  "7"  mark  to  the  "9  :45"  mark. 

Eight  years'  use  of  time  cards  has  proved 
that  workmen  are  less  liable  to  make  mistakes  if  they 
simply  have  to  mark  their  time  out  in  this  way  than  if 
they  have  to  figure.  Every  one  is  familiar  with  the 
clock  face.  The  workman  when  he  begins  his  work 
glances  at  the  face  of  his  watch  or  the  clock  hanging  in 
the  shop,  and  need  simply  place  a  mark  opposite  the 
corresponding  figure  and  space  on  the  time  card ;  he  does 
the  same  thing  when  he  finishes  the  job.  It  is  almost 
mechanical;  he  need  do  no  figuring,  he  need  enter  no 
figures — in  a  sprawling  hand  which  the  cost  clerk  may 
easily  mistake;  in  fact,  he  need  not  even  know  how  to 
write  at  all. 

These  cards  are  very  quickly  filled  out;  it  takes  less 
time  to  run  a  line  around  a  circle  than  to  enter  two 
spaces  of  figures.  Mistakes,  too,  are  very  rare. 

The  time  cards  for  the  preceding  day's  work  come 
into  the  factory  office  every  morning.  Each  job  which  is 
going  through  the  office  has  an  assembly  card  upon 
which  is  entered  all  the  time  put  upon  that  job;  every 
morning  the  number  of  hours  spent  upon  each  job  the 
preceding  day  is  entered  upon  that  job's  assembly  card. 
As  each  operation,  each  job  and  each  workman  have 
separate  cards,  this  posting  is  a  very  quick  process, 


TIME   KEEPING  METHODS 


19 


Plate  II:  Life  size  drawings  of  machines   bring  out    the   niceties  of  design   in   the 

drafting  room  of  the  Newton  Machine  Tool  Works.    A  blackboard 

drawing  outfit  does  the  trick     (See  Chapter  V) 


20 


GETTING  RETURNS  FROM  LABOR 


II 


6.S 

fl 
3 


§"§ 

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II 

11 
i? 


1 


CHAPTER    III 

Wage  Paying  Systems 

IN  a  big  machine  shop  a  certain  piece  of  work  had 
cost  more  than  it  should.     The  foreman  was  asked 
to  explain. 

"I  was  as  economical  as  I  could  be,"  he  said,  "I  put 
a  two-dollar-a-day  man  on  it."  To  which  the  superin- 
tendent replied,  "Next  time  put  a  three-dollar  man  on 
it,  just  as  an  experiment,  and  let  us  see  how  it  will 
come  out  then." 

The  results  of  the  two  jobs  show  the  point.     The  first, 
the  cheap  man's  work,  figured  as  follows: 
Forty-two  hours  machine  work  at  20  cents 

per  hour $  8.40 

Forty-two  hours  use  of  machine,  rate  50 
cents  per  hour 21.00 

$29.40 

The  second,  the  high-priced  man,  resulted  as  follows: 
Twenty-seven  and  one-quarter  hours  work 

at  30  cents  per  hour $  8.17 

Twenty-seven  and  one-quarter  hours  use 
of  machine,  rate  50  cents  per  hour 13.63 

$21.80 


22    GETTING  RETURNS  FROM  LABOR 

This  shows  a  net  gain  of  practically  33  per  cent  on 
the  cost  of  the  job.  And  that  is  not  all.  There  was 
a  saving  of  14%  hours  in  the  use  of  the  machine;  in 
other  words,  the  producing  capacity  of  the  machine  was 
more  than  doubled.  The  fixed  charges,  or  burden,  re- 
mained the  same,  and  does  so  whether  machines  are  idle 
or  producing  useful  work. 

Machines  are  paid  wages  (in  the  form  of  interest  on 
investment  and  depreciation)  just  as  men.  To  get  the 
highest  efficiency  out  of  machines  is  just  as  important 
as  working  men  to  their  highest  speed. 

It  is  often,  in  fact  nearly  always,  wise  economy  to 
employ  labor  of  the  necessary  skill  to  permit  every  ma- 
chine to  turn  out  work  to  its  fullest  capacity,  even  if 
50  per  cent  is  added  to  the  labor  rate,  as  above.  To 
have  a  ten  thousand  dollar  machine  "  loafing "  is  as  bad 
as  to  have  the  workmen  taking  things  easy. 

Wage  Payment  Plan  That  Brought  Results 

WE  can't  pay  our  workmen  weekly  without  great- 
ly increasing  our  clerical  expense  and  shoulder- 
ing an  enlarged  volume  of  detail. ' ' 

"Yes  we  can.  We  can  arrange  a  system  which  will 
allow  us  to  handle  the  detail  of  weekly  pay  rolls  just 
as  easily,  as  carefully  and  as  quickly  as  we  now  handle 
the  rolls  monthly.  And  the  expense  need  be  but  very 
little  more,  it  may  even  be  less." 

A  conversation  along  this  line  took  place  some  years 
ago  between  two  officials  in  the  scale  manufacturing 
plant  of  E.  and  T.  Fairbanks  &  Company  at  St.  Johns- 
bury,  Vermont,  just  before  that  corporation  changed  its 
manner  of  paying  employees  and  adopted  the  rule  of 
vveekly  payment  of  wages.  This  company  was  the  first 
in  that  New  England  state  to  institute  this  plan. 


WAGE  PAYING  SYSTEMS  23 

The  system  which  was  evolved  presents  one  distinct 
feature  which  may  hold  a  suggestion  for  any  manufac- 
turing establishment  or  business  house.  In  this  plant, 
as  is  usual  in  any  industry  utilizing  foundries  in  mak- 
ing its  product,  there  are  many  men  paid  on  the  piece- 
work basis  and  others  by  day  wages.  Those  in  the  former 
class  list  the  number  of  pieces  they  produce  daily  on 
sheets  provided  for  the  purpose,  and  these  sheets,  when 
checked  and  approved  by  the  foreman,  pass  to  the  pay 
clerks.  This  system  is  found  in  many  foundries  and 
other  plants. 

However,  the  day-wage  division  holds  a  feature  all 
its  own.  The  brass  check  is  the  basis  of  time-keeping 
here.  Each  workman,  as  he  enters  the  shops  in  the  morn- 
ing, secures  at  the  time  office  the  brass  check  bearing  his 
factory  number.  He  proceeds  to  his  department,  hangs 
his  check  on  its  proper  hook  in  the  glass-covered  case 
fixed  on  the  wall,  and,  at  the  blowing  of  the  whistle,  the 
foreman  of  that  department  locks  the  case.  The  worker 
gets  his  check  at  the  noon  hour,  hangs  it  up  again  after 
lunch,  secures  it  at  closing  time  and  leaves  it  in  the 
time  office  as  he  goes  to  his  home  with  the  day's  work 
ended.  Thus,  a  constant  tab  is  kept  on  each  man.  No 
employee,  arriving  late  at  any  time,  can  get  his  check 
in  the  case  and  secure  credit  for  his  work  without  apply- 
ing to  the  foreman,  who  holds  the  case  key. 

And  here  the  time-saving  feature  enters.  Recourse  is 
had  to  a  card  system.  Each  card — a  facsimile  is  shown 
in  Form  I — bears  the  workman's  name  and  his  fac- 
tory number.  The  number  of  hours  he  works  is  punched 
in  the  card  at  the  proper  place  at  the  close  of  each  day. 
If  there  are  fifteen,  or  twenty,  or  more  men  in  his  de- 
partment who  have  worked  nine  hours,  or  full  time,  on 
that  particular  day,  all  the  cards  checking  their  time 


24    GETTING  RETURNS  FROM  LABOR 

may  be  punched  at  once  with  a  single  pressure  of  the 
punching  tool. 

The  punch  marks  are  of  varied  shape,  each  depart- 
ment being  designated  by  its  own  peculiar  design.  Thus 
cards  listing  workmen  employed  in  one  branch  have 
crosses  punched  in  the  hour  squares,  another  department 
has  a  star ;  another  working  division,  a  square ;  a  fourth, 
a  circle,  and  so  on.  If  a  workman  is  late  he  must  wait 
until  the  clock  marks  the  ensuing  hour  before  he  is 
allowed  to  go  to  his  lathe  or  his  bench.  Thus,  there  are 
no  fractions  of  hours  to  bother  with  or  to  create  detail. 

With  these  cards  punched  in  the  time  office  each  day 
— foremen,  too,  reporting  each  man  who  failed  to  serve 
full  time  or  who  was  absent  from  duty — the  pay  to  which 
each  workman  is  entitled  at  the  week's  end  is  quickly 
and  accurately  calculated.  The  total  number  of  hours, 
as  punched,  is  entered  on  the  body  of  the  card,  together 
with  the  rate  of  wage  per  hour  and  the  total  wages  due 
the  workmen  concerned  for  the  week.  Provided  he  lives 
in  one  of  the  houses  which  the  company  has  constructed 
for  his  convenience,  the  rent  item  is  entered  on  the  card 
at  the  proper  time  for  deduction  from  his  total  earnings. 
In  this  way  a  constant,  accurate,  lasting  record  is  at  hand 
every  seven  days  of  each  man's  hours  of  work  and 
amount  of  pay.  Detail,  too,  is  reduced  in  great  degree. 

Determining  Piece  Prices  Accurately 

VERY  often  piece  prices  on  a  new  article  are  named 
by  the  foreman  of  the  department  in  which   the 
operation  is  done.     A  workman  runs  through  a  lot  of 
day  work,  and,  from  the  time  it  takes,  the  prices  to  be 
paid  are  computed. 

This  price  is  not  reduced  every  time  a  lot  goes  through, 
even  though  the  men  make  more  than  they  would  at  day 


WAGE  PAYING  SYSTEMS 


25 


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fiUNOAV, 

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MONDAY 

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£ 

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TNUBSOAV 

CASH  *                                 , 

rflj'oAY.  .;   : 

SATuflOAV. 

WCtK  CNOHMG  '!»  

Form  I:  In  this  time  card  the  foreman  punches  a  hole  to  show  the  number  of  hours 
put  in  by  each  man  each  day 

work.  They  expect  to  make  more,  they  work  harder  in 
order  to  accomplish  that  end,  and  if  the  practice  is  to 
cut  the  price  every  time  a  man  makes  a  good  day's  pay 
the  men  get  discouraged  and  quit.  In  making  the  price, 
a  figure  is  named  which  the  firm  can  afford  to  pay,  and 
then  it  is  left  alone,  leaving  something  for  the  men  to 
work  for. 

Slashing  piece  prices  or  reducing  wages  is  a  confession 
of  weakness  on  the  part  of  a  foreman  who  indulges  in 
these  practices.  Cutting  out  unnecessary  operations  or 
combining  two  or  more  which  have  been  done  singly  is 
a  proof  of  efficiency  and  can  often  be  done  with  absolute 
gain  to  firm,  workman  and  buyer. 

To  illustrate,  a  factory  was  putting  out  small  bench 
vises,  and  the  handles  for  these  were  made  of  five-six- 
teenths round  cold-drawn  steel.  This  was  cut  in  an  auto- 
matic screw  machine,  which  knurled  both  ends  of  the 
piece.  The  balls  were  made  in  another  screw  machine, 
and  were  riveted  onto  the  handle. 

The  machine  shop  foreman  conceived  the  idea  of  buy- 
ing the  handles  with  one  end  formed,  simply  a  bright 
round  head  or  ball  rivet.  A  die  was  made  for  the  punch 
press,  and,  after  the  vise  was  finished,  one  blow  rounded 
the  other  end  of  the  handle  and  the  job  was  done.  Four 
operations  gave  a  better  appearing  and  no  less  service- 


26    GETTING  RETURNS  FROM  LABOR 

able  job  when  finished,  and  the  cost  was  cut  square  in 
two. 

"The  fat  mouse  forgets  he  ever  was  thin,"  and  men 
who  have  come  up  from  the  ranks  to  the  position  of  fore- 
men should  think  twice  before  beginning  to  build  a  repu- 
tation by  reducing  wages  and  cutting  prices,  as  many  of 
them  are  doing.  Better  results  are  possible  by  follow- 
ing more  up-to-date  methods. 

Gearing  Up  the  Working  Force 

IT  does  not  take  a  big  plant  and  a  carefully  worked 
out  organization  to  make  use  of  some  of  the 
economies  that  go  under  big  names, ' '  said  a  small  manu- 
facturer. 

"I  have  a  small  tailoring  factory,  employing  on  an 
average  only  a  dozen  people,  and  I  am  using  with  very 
good  success,  what  the  experts  call  the  'bonus  system.' 
Only  I  don't  think  of  it  as  a  bonus  system;  I  just  call 
it  *  pushing.' 

*  *  I  figured  out,  by  keeping  private  records  over  a  period 
of  several  months,  about  what  the  average  worker  could 
do  on  each  process.  This  was  not  what  they  did  under 
forced  pressure,  but  what  the  average  output  of  the 
good  workers  was,  under  ordinary  conditions.  To  this 
amount,  I  then  added  10  per  cent.,  thus  fixing  a  stan- 
dard of  efficiency  for  the  shop. 

"Then  one  pay-day  I  gave  each  employee  a  note  in 
which  I  stated  his  average  day's  work.  I  agreed  that 
any  worker  who  turned  out  at  least  this  amount  each 
day  would  receive  a  bonus  of  what  amounted  to  8  per 
cent  of  his  week's  pay. 

"I  was  surprised  at  the  results.  Of  course  every  worker 
will  not  try  to  work  up  to  the  maximum,  but  it  geared 
up  the  force  and  increased  the  output  tremendously. 


WAGE  PAYING  SYSTEMS  27 

Besides,  the  proposition  had  the  effect  of  bringing  the 
workers  to  the  shop  and  keeping  them  steadily  at  their 
work,  as  they  could  not  afford  to  waste  any  time  if  they 
wished  to  win  their  bonus.  And  the  increased  output 
from  the  same  equipment  reduced  the  fixed  charges  nrmnv 
times  over  the  few  dollars 


Reducing  Non-productive  Labor  j     |_ 

A  LARGE  blacksmith  shop   has  cleverly  solved  the 
problem  of  keeping  the  workmen  supplied   with 
jobs  without  loss  of  time  to  the  pieceworker. 

Near  each  shear  or  cut-off  in  the  shop  is  a  push  button 
connected  with  an  indicator  in  the  department  office.  A 
few  minutes  before  the  shear  man  is  through  with  a 
job,  he  pushes  a  button,  which  indicates  to  the  store- 
keeper that  shear  No.  12,  for  example,  will  soon  he  TV»«HV 
for  stock  for  another  job. 

The  shop  is  run  by  schedule,  and  the  department 
orders  are  on  file  in  the  office  in  their  proper  procedure. 
From  this  job  file,  the  storekeeper  takes  from  pigeonhole 
No.  12,  the  operation  card  which  indicates  the  next  job 
for  machine  No.  12.  The  stockkeeper  makes  from  this 
operation  card  a  memo  order  in  duplicate  on  his  iron 
house  for  the  number  of  bars  required  to  make  the  parts. 

Then  he  puts  the  operation  card  back  in  the  workman's 
job  file  so  that  it  will  be  ready  to  go  to  him  with  the 
stock.  The  storekeeper  then  pushes  a  second  button 
which  calls  the  man  who  has  charge  of  the  iron  house. 
To  him  is  given  the  original  memo  order,  and  he  de- 
livers the  material  to  shear  No.  12,  in  ample  time  to 
keep  the  workman  busy,  and  prevent  any  loss  of  time 
on  the  shear.  A  great  deal  of  time  is  saved  in  this 
manner.  Usually  the  shear  man  handles  many  parts  in 
a  day,  and,  in  a  number  of  shops,  by  the  use  of  push 


28    GETTING  RETURNS  FROM  LABOR 

buttons  one  machine's  time  could  probably  be  saved. 
The  scheme  avoids  much  confusion  and  greatly  assists 
both  the  storekeeper  and  iron  house  man. 

A  Simple  System  for  Finding  Costs 

TO  find  the  cost  of  an  article,  it  is  necessary  to  know 
the  amount  of  material  that  goes  into  it,  the 
amount  of  productive  labor  that  is  put  into  it,  and  the 
percentage  of  all  the  general  expense  of  running  the 
business  that  should  be  charged  to  it. 

Every  article  or  job  should  be  made  out  on  order.  An 
order  blank  may  be  made  out,  which  tells  the 
number  of  the  article  to  be  made  and  gives  specifica- 
tions and  instructions  regarding  the  making.  Space  is 
provided  for  entering  the  amount  of  material  to  be  used. 
This  should  be  entered  by  the  foreman  when  he  gets  the 
material  from  the  storeroom. 

For  the  productive  labor,  a  separate  time  slip  may  be 
kept  by  each  workman,  on  which  he  enters  the  amount  of 
time  he  puts  on  each  job.  When  these  time  slips  come 
into  the  factory  office,  they  are  entered  on  the  reverse 
of  the  shop  order. 

When  the  job  is  completed  the  shop  order  is  returned 
to  the  office,  where  the  cost  of  the  material  is  figured  out. 
The  time  costs  and  the  expense  of  material  are  then  totalled. 


Worse  Than  Wasted 

T)LACK  smoke  is  unconsumed  car- 
U  bon — nascent  heat — lost  energy — 
wasted  coal.  A  smoking  chimney 
registers  money  lost. 


CHAPTER  IV 
Efficiency  Producers 

A  CERTAIN  blacksmith's  shop  formerly  required  ten 
men  at  $1.50  per  day  to  remove  materials  from 
machine  to  machine.  The  foreman  in  this  plant  thought 
the  matter  over,  and  now  only  four  truckers  are  required, 
and  these  men  are  paid  $2.00  a  day. 

No  material  is  to  be  seen  lying  on  the  floor  in  this 
shop.  Everything  is  kept  in  trucks  so  that  it  can  be 
moved  at  once  without  unnecessary  handling.  It  is  this 
elimination  of  unnecessary  handling  which  has  enabled 
the  non-productive  labor  in  this  case  to  be  cut  from 
$15.00  to  $8.00  per  day. 

The  method  evolved  for  handling  material  at  one  ma- 
chine, a  punch  press,  will  serve  as  an  example.  The 
sketch  indicates  the  arrangement  for  all  trucks  at  this 
machine.  When  the  trucker  brings  a  loaded  truck  it  Is 
placed  in  the  position  indicated  at  1.  The  machine  ten- 
der takes  the  pieces  from  truck  1,  passes  them  through  the 
press  and  throws  them,  not  on  the  ground,  but  in  truck 
2.  Truck  2  is  then  wheeled  by  the  trucker  to  the  next 
machine.  (See  Figure  I.) 

The  other  plant  where  the  system  of  trucking  has 
been  studied  is  a  textile  mill.  The  manager  noticed,  as 
did  the  foreman  in  the  blacksmith's  shop,  that  much 


30 


GETTING  RETURNS  FROM  LABOR 


PUNCH 
PRESS 


igure  I:  One  foreman  saved  six  truckers  by  arranging  the  course  of  work  and  trucks 
as  shown  here 

time  was  lost  in  transferring  materials  from  the  floor  to 
the  truck  when  the  garments  might  just  as  well  be  placed 
in  the  truck  in  the  first  place.  Several  trucks  were  then 
built  which  would  hold  several  gross  of  garments.  The 
storeroom  boy  in  carting  the  materials  from  the  work- 
room to  the  storeroom  simply  exchanged  a  loaded  for 
an  empty  truck. 

Getting  in  Quick  Touch  with^  Executives 

BRIDGE  time — that  is  one  of  the  two  or  three  con- 
stants of  the  business  world.    Get  messages,  ma- 
terial, men,  to  the  point  of  demand  as  quickly  as  modern 
inventions  will  carry  them. 

A  great  manufacturing  plant  in  Northern  Illinois  cov- 
ers 300  acres  and  employs  7,000  men.    Its  executives  are 


EFFICIENCY  PEODUCEES  31 

all  practical  men.  Therefore  they  are  often  wanted  for 
advice  or  commands.  A  wire  gearing  becomes  tangled  in 
a  mill.  The  chief  electrician  is  wanted  to  repair  it — and 
wanted  quick;  every  minute  idle  means  tens  of  dollars 
lost. 

The  plant  is  big ;  he  may  be  in  any  of  a  hundred  build- 
ings or  works  of  the  three  hundred  acres.  The  fore- 
man of  the  department  where  the  break  has  occurred, 
telephones  to  the  electric  station,  "Send  the  electrician 
here  to  mill  No.  6,  quick — break. " 

The  engineer  in  the  electric  station  pulls  his  whistle 
two  shorts.  It  is  the  chief  electrician's  signal.  And 
wherever  he  may  be— in  a  mill  overseeing  construction, 
in  the  laboratory  experimenting,  in  the  superintendent's 
office  consulting— he  hears  it. 

Immediately  he  telephones  from  the  nearest  point. 

" What's  wanted?"  he  asks. 

"Break  in  mill  No.  6.    Rush  over." 

In  a  moment  he  is  there.  The  trouble  is  discovered 
and,  under  his  able  direction,  soon  fixed. 

So  the  system  operates  throughout  the  plant.  Every 
executive  has  his  whistle  signal  distinguished  by  sound 
and  action.  Every  general  condition— fire,  for  instance — 
has  its  signal.  In  each  mill  there  is  a  whistle  code  by 
which  communication  is  had;  every  important  workman 
has  a  whistle  rope  at  his  elbow. 

Minutes  and  money  are  saved. 

Time  is  bridged. 

Supervision  Basis~of  Cost  Economy 

SOME  people  seem  to  have  the  idea  that  if  there  is  a 
system  in  a  factory,  the  system  will  run  itself.  They 
do  not  realize  that  it  takes  just  as  good  men  to  run  the 
system,  and   discover  the  flaws  which  are  continually 


32    GETTING  RETURNS  FROM  LABOR 

pushing  themselves  into  prominence,  as  it  does  to  oper- 
ate the  factory  itself.  And,  if  it  takes  a  capable  man  to 
keep  a  system  going  straight,  it  would  seem  as  if  it  would 
require  something  better  than  the  average  ten-a-week 
man  to  handle  the  minor  parts.  Such  a  man  may  be, 
in  fact  is,  satisfactory  with  close  supervision  of  some 
much  more  capable  person,  but  leave  him  alone  and  he 
will  surely  swamp  himself. 

Take,  for  instance,  an  ordinary  cost-system  in  a  factory 
producing  small  piece-work.  Consider  an  ordinary  time- 
keeper, who  is  obliged  to  weigh  out  all  material  leaving 
his  department,  and  issue  transfer  slips  giving  the  order 
number,  condition,  and  number  of  pieces,  this  transfer 
ticket  merely  identifying  the  material  for  the  people 
handling  it  in  the  next  operation.  If  he  makes  out  the 
time  tickets  for  the  man  who  has  just  finished  a  batch 
of  goods  in  question,  during  the  day  (and  more  often 
he  lets  the  man  fill  out  his  own  time  ticket)  he  usually 
takes  the  man 's  word  for  the  number  of  pieces  finished. 

The  result  is,  that  if  the  workman  is  dishonest,  he  sees 
a  good  chance  to  boost  his  way,  which  he  does  by  report- 
ing a  fictitious  number  of  pieces  completed. 

The  pieces  then  go  through  several  departments  where 
perhaps  the  same  thing  is  repeated  occasionally,  and 
finally  are  assembled  and  shipped.  As  a  check  on  the 
first  time-keeper  the  time-tickets  and  transfers  are 
checked  by  another  cheap  ( ?)  man,  who,  the  same  as 
the  average  time-keeper,  "does  not  see  what's  the  use 
of  all  this  weighing  up  and  having  so  many  tickets,  etc.," 
and  may  report  any  discrepancy  between  transfers  and 
time-tickets,  but  more  often  will  not. 

Now,  what  is  the  remedy?  If  you  are  operating  a 
system,  it  does  not  at  all  matter  whether  for  factory 
cost  or  a  water-works,  select  a  point  from  which  you  can 


EFFICIENCY  PRODUCERS  33 

watch  and  check  the  leaks,  and  at  that  point  place  a  man 
of  exceptional  ability,  one  in  whom  you  can  trust. 

How  Electric  Fans  Increased  Output 

A  STARTLING  proof  of  the  effect  of  working  condi- 
JLM.  tions  on  output  was  recently  made  in  a  certain 
factory. 

The  factory  employs  chiefly  girls,  who  work  on  sewing 
machines.  While  the  work  rooms  are  large  and  light, 
necessarily  there  are  many  employees  in  each  room,  and 
the  work  holds  them  pretty  strictly  to  their  machines. 

At  the  beginning  of  summer,  when  the  hot  weather 
came  on,  a  proposition  was  made  to  install  fans  all 
through  the  factory.  Some  of  the  directors  objected  to 
the  expense,  which  would  necessarily  be  large.  The  man- 
ager of  the  factory  contended  that  it  would  not  be  an 
expense,  but  a  saving. 

And  he  proved  his  contention.  First,  he  kept  track 
of  the  output  of  one  room.  Then  the  fans  were  installed 
in  that  room,  and  for  the  next  ten  days  the  output  was 
again  recorded.  When  the  returns  were  in  and  the  out- 
puts of  the  two  periods  were  reduced  to  exactly  co-ordi- 
nate terms,  it  was  found  that  the  output  was  increased  in 
the  second  period  by  sixteen  per  cent. 

Even  the  manager  was  surprised.  It  has  made  him 
certain  that  good  working  surroundings  are  not  charity, 
but  good  business.  They  pay. 

A  Card  Record  History  of  Employees 

ANY  firm  with  a  large  number  of  employees  on  its 
pay  roll  knows  the  desirability  of  having  in  some 
definite  and  concise  form  a  brief  personal  record  for  each 
individual  employed.    Although  few  employers  go  to  the 
extent  of  having  a  separate  card  for  each  person,  this  is 


34    GETTING  RETURNS  PROM  LABOR 


new 

NCW ADDRESS 


TO ' 

.WORK 


RAT« CHANGED 


DATE 
PATE  CHAN&E P 


.,  tEF 


WO  NO  OIS-  WA«T£O  BITTER  LEFT 

REASON  NOTICE  CHARGED  KA1SE. JOB CITY 

REEM^  DATE 


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REMARKS 


Form  I :     How  one  factory  keeps  permanent  record  of  employees,  with  least  clerical  labor 

unquestionably  the  best  system  for  handling  the  record. 
A  3x5  card  with  a  printed  outline,  such  as  is  shown  in 
Form  I,  will  answer  every  ordinary  purpose,  and  when 
filed  alphabetically  under  the  name  of  the  individual 
will  be  found  very  convenient  for  reference  purposes. 
The  form  may  be  varied  slightly  to  suit  the  particular 
requirements  of  the  company,  but  usually  it  will  be  suf- 
ficient to  show  the  name  and  residence  address  of  the 
employee,  his  age,  whether  single  or  married,  his  habits, 
character  and  references.  Following  this  should  be  an 
employment  record,  giving  the  date  hired  and  wages 
paid.  When  wages  are  changed,  note  is  made  of  this  on 
the  card  together  with  date  of  change.  If  the  person 
leaves  the  employ  of  the  firm,  the  date  and  reason  are 
noted  on  the  card.  Records  of  employees  who  leave  th<» 
firm  should  not  be  destroyed,  but  should  be  placed  in  a 
separate  file,  where  they  will  prove  very  valuable  for 
reference  in  case  the  same  person  later  applies  for  P 
position. 


Part  11 


GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 


Make  for  the  Making's  Sake 

/DUALITY.  The  word  oftenest  on  the  lips  of  the 
^^  man  who  sells  things.  The  "open  sesame"  in 
the  world  of  competition. 

jStudy  the  successful  factories.  They  are  built  on  the 
dea  that  quality  in  goods  is  the  fundamental  of  per- 
manent business.  Even  dealers  in  makeshifts  pay 
oblique  homage  to  this  basic  virtue:  they  cry  quality 
until  found  out. 

The  passion  to  manufacture  and  sell  the  best  has  in- 
spired every  big  figure  in  industry.  These  men  reach 
giant's  stature  because  for  once  creative  impulse  and 
hard  commercial  sense  pointed  the  same  goal. 
For  "make  for  the  making's  sake"  is  the  industrial 
first  commandment.  To  cut  costs,  to  improve  pro- 
cesses, to  get  an  increasingly  finer  product  from  un- 
changing new  materials;  to  give  to  customers  the 
benefit  of  every  automatic  machine — this  is  good 
business  as  well  as  the  only  man's  game  left  worth  playing. 
The  prize  is  quality. 
Quality  begets  success.  More— it  is  success. 


CHAPTER  V 
Reducing  Costs  by  Studying  Machines 

ONE  of  the  difficulties,  often  highly  important,  to  be 
overcome  in  the  designing  of  machine  tools,  is  that 
of  determining  the  suitability  of  proportions  and  out- 
lines. Scale  drawings  are  notoriously  unsatisfactory  in 
this  respect;  but  full  size  drawings  are,  of  course,  out 
cf  the  question  for  any  but  small — very  small — machines 
and  the  like.  Often  a  designer  is  quite  misled  into  think- 
ing a  part  well  adapted  to  its  use,  ar  its  proportions  are 
shown  in  the  scale  drawing,  only  to  find,  after  erection, 
that  important  or  desirable  changes  could  have  been 
made,  had  he  been  able  to  see  a  full  size  plan. 

In  order  to  make  this  possible,  there  has  been  placed  in 
the  drafting  rooms  of  the  Newton  Machine  Tool  Works, 
Philadelphia,  a  mammoth  blackboard,  covering  most  of 
one  side  of  the  room.  On  this,  the  designer  lays  out  the 
principal  lines  and  dimensions  of  his  machine,  using  the 
floor  as  the  base  line.  Minor  details,  of  course,  are 
omitted,  except  as  it  is  desirable  to  show  them  for  pur- 
poses of  comparison,  or  to  get  an  idea  of  their  full  size 
relations  to  the  other  parts. 

Such  a  full  size  drawing  makes  it  possible  for  the 
designer  to  work  out  to  much  greater  advantage  than 
usual  the  location  of  parts  and  operating  levers  so  as 

3* 


STUDYING  YOUR  MACHINES 


38 


GEARING   UP   PRODUCTION 


STUDYING  YOUR  MACHINES  39 

to  make  them  most  convenient  for  the  operator.  Stand- 
ing beside  such  a  drawing,  the  draftsman  gets  almost  as 
good  an  idea  of  the  machine  as  though  standing  by  the 
completed  tool.  (See  Plate  II.) 

The  blackboard  is  sixteen  feet  high  and  thirty-two 
feet  long,  and  is  made  of  smooth  boards  so  put  to- 
gether as  to  prevent  it  from  warping  or  otherwise  get- 
ting out  of  shape.  The  surface  is  covered  with  rubber 
blackboard  cloth  carefully  and  smoothly  stretched.  The 
board  is  provided  with  two  horizontal  straight  edges, 
their  ends  attached  to  cords  in  such  a  way  as  to  keep 
them  always  parallel.  There  are  counterbalances  to 
keep  the  straight  edges  in  place.  From  the  straight 
edges  hang  T  squares.  It  is  seen,  therefore,  that  the 
board  is  provided  with  all  the  customary  lining  appli- 
ances ordinarily  used  with  small  drafting  boards  so  that 
the  same  operations  are  readily  performed. 

This  board  is  so  large  that  it  is  necessary  to  use  a 
ladder  in  drawing  upon  its  upper  portions.  For  this 
purpose  a  traveling  step  ladder  is  used,  mounted  on 
rollers  at  the  floor  end,  and  suspended  from  a  track 
above.  It  runs  so  smoothly  that  the  draftsman  can  push 
it  along  easily  without  dismounting. 

A  suggested  improvement  would  be  an  adjustable  seat 
for  the  ladder.  Standing  and  balancing  one's  self  in 
doing  this  work  must  be  rather  tedious  and  tiring;  and 
a  comfortable  seat  would  apparently  be  a  desirable 
addition  to  the  equipment. 

Saving  Time  in  Grinding  Tools 

ONE  of  the  greatest  sources  of  loss  of  machinists' 
time  and  consequent  idleness  of  expensive  machines 
is  the  time  spent  in  grinding  tools.     Machinists  are  apt 
to  be  finicky  about  the  way  they  want  their  tools  ground. 


40  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

When  a  grinding  department  is  established  they  com- 
plain that  the  tools  are  not  adapted  to  the  work. 

Several  shops  have  lessened  their  tool  grinding  trou- 
bles by  having  the  grinding  expert  himself  go  from  ma- 
chine to  machine;  see  that  every  machine  has  its  full 
quota  of  proper  tools,  and  that  the  men  use  them  proper- 
ly. This  is  much  better  than  caging  up  the  grinder  far 
away  from  the  machinists  and  arguing  vociferously  at 
long  range.  The  frontispiece  illustrates  one  way  in 
which  economy  may  easily  be  exercised  both  as  to  break- 
age and  tool  efficiency,  with  regard  to  drill  grinding. 

In  machine  shops  where  large  pieces  are  handled, 
clamps  and  bolts  are  usually  kept  near  the  machines. 
Instead  of  allowing  these  to  lie  on  the  floor,  it  is  best 
to  provide  large  open-front  boxes  on  the  order  of  large 
pigeonholes  for  keeping  these  appliances  in  order  and 
ready  at  hand. 

The  appliances  themselves  should  be  painted  a  bright 
color,  such  as  red  or  blue.  This  catches  the  eye  quickly 
and  helps  in  locating  the  pieces  and  in  keeping  them 
where  they  belong. 

Using  the  Trucking  Force 

A  WELL  arranged  group  of  machines  has  other  ad- 
vantages than  those   gained  by  the  saving  of 
power.     It  is  easier  to  handle  raw  and  finished  parts. 
Well  defined  aisles  make  it  possible  to  organize  the 
trucking  force  and  cut  out  non-productive  labor. 

In  one  shop  the  manager  has  arranged  the  work  so 
that  the  truckmen  have  a  regular  schedule  on  their  re- 
spective floors.  The  elevator  men  form  a  part  of  the 
trucking  force  and  handle  all  material  between  floors. 
This  makes  it  possible  to  do  the  same  amount  of  work 
with  one-half  the  force  formerly  needed  to  handle  the 


STUDYING  YOUR  MACHINES  41 

parts.     The  time  lost  when  the  truckmen  rode  on  the 
elevator  is  saved. 

Team  System  for  Cleaning  Machinery 

THE  old  method  of  shutting  down  a  factory  or  mill 
on  Saturday  to  give  workmen  a  chance  to  clean 
and  overhaul  the  machinery  means  the  loss  of  consid- 
erable valuable  time  that  can  scarcely  be  afforded  in 
these  days  of  close  competition.  Economy  in  this  part 
of  the  factory  work  is  as  necessary  as  it  is  in  any  other, 
especially  where  the  business  requires  that  every  machine 
possible  be  kept  busy.  Present  day  conditions  must  be  met 
in  every  branch  of  industrial  work,  and  this  means  that 
the  cleaning  of  machinery  must  be  accomplished  expe- 
ditiously  to  help  meet  these  conditions.  The  following 
system  for  keeping  the  machinery  of  a  plant  in  good 
condition  has  been  put  into  use  with  success  in  a  big 
knitting  factory,  and  it  meets  today's  demands  fully. 
If  adopted,  it  will  be  found  a  money-saver  in  almost  any 
kind  of  a  factory. 

This  method  of  cleaning  machinery  allows  the  fac- 
tory or  mill  to  run  without  interruption.  Only  one  or 
two  machines  in  the  whole  works  are  stopped  at  a 
time.  The  cleaning  is  done  by  a  specially  designated 
team  of  helpers,  generally  consisting  of  two  or  three 
employees  of  the  plant.  These  "cleaners,"  as  they  are 
called,  spend  the  greater  share  of  their  time  going  from 
one  department  to  another,  overhauling  one  or  two  ma- 
chines at  a  time.  The  man  working  on  the  machine  in 
process  of  cleaning  generally  expedites  the  cleaning  by 
lending  his  assistance  on  the  job.  Thus  in  a  few  mo- 
ments an  intricate  piece  of  machinery  may  be  put  in 
shape  and  oiled  for  another  week 's  work.  In  the  case  of 
a  large  plant,  two  or  three  teams  might  be  employed  at 


42  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

this  cleaning  work.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  mill  is 
a  small  one,  the  team  could  be  put  on  other  jobs  during 
light  days,  or  they  could  be  kept  in  readiness  to  sub- 
stitute for  other  employees  who  might  be  taken  ill.  This 
matter  could  be  easily  regulated. 

The  men  whose  duty  it  is  to  keep  the  machinery  clean 
and  in  good  working  order  are  able  to  do  the  work 
quicker  than  the  other  mill  hands,  under  the  old  system 
doing  it  only  once  a  week.  For  this  reason,  together 
with  the  fact  that  only  one  or  two  machines  are  stopped 
at  a  time,  or  in  large  mills  at  the  most  two  or  three, 
this  plan  of  cleaning  is  found  to  be  of  great  benefit  to 
quality  of  product  and  life  of  machines.  Worn  out 
parts  of  machines,  stuffed  oil  holes  and  other  defects  are 
sooner  discovered  and  attended  to. 

Under  old  conditions  the  factory  machine  shop  usually 
is  rushed  with  work  on  Saturdays,  and  on  other  days 
work  is  likely  to  be  slack.  With  the  system  here  de- 
scribed, the  work  of  repair  is  more  evenly  distributed 
over  the  whole  week,  reducing  expenses  throughout. 

With  more  timely  attention  to  cleaning,  oiling  and 
proper  setting  of  machines,  breakdowns  happen  less 
frequently,  and  if  a  machine  is  unexpectedly  stopped  for 
repairs,  the  team  for  cleaning  tackles  that  machine  first, 
instead  of  some  other,  and,  unless  the  work  on  repair 
lasts  long,  there  is  actually  no  time  lost  on  account  of 
repairs. 

Getting  the  Most  Out  of  Machines 

THE  proportion  of  time  that  a  machine  is  actually 
doing  productive  work  is  an  item  which  it  is  very 
desirable  to  know.     Absolute  knowledge  on  this  point 
enables  one  to  know  what  the  hourly  rate  is,  which  must 
be  added  to  the  man's  rate;  whether  or  not  it  is  neces- 


STUDYING  YOUR  MACHINES  43 

sary  to  buy  additional  machines,  and  whether  equipment 
and  power  are  being  wasted. 

A  device  is  now  being  used  for  recording  by  lines  and 
blanks  through  electrical  contact  the  actual  record  of 
the  running  of  a  machine,  the  recorder  being  placed  at 
a  central  location,  such  as  the  superintendent's  or  man- 
ager's office.  This  system  has  shown  a  Cincinnati  shop 
manufacturing  lathes  that  many  of  their  machines  are 
running  only  40  per  cent  of  the  time,  and  that  they  have 
been  able  to  correct  this  to  80  per  cent.  This,  too,  in  a 
shop  which  has  already  largely  increased  its  productivity 
by  the  introduction  some  years  ago  of  the  premium  wage 
system,  and  which  is  considered  to  be  one  of  the  finest 
shops  in  the  country. 

Saving  Time  in  Handling'^Work 

HOW  much  time  will  a  workman  save  when  he  knows 
where  to  reach  for  his  raw  material  and  just  where 
to  put  the  finished  product?  How  far  does  he  have  to 
go  to  get  materials  with  which  to  work?  And  what  is 
the  saving  in  material  in  properly  handling  partly  fin- 
ished work?  These  are  questions  of  importance  to  be 
considered  in  every  manufacturing  plant. 

Although  no  factory  manager  can  state  definitely  just 
how  much  time  and  material  is  saved,  all  know  that  it 
is  considerable.  Yet  the  majority  of  machine-tool  work- 
ers have  material  piled  up  under  foot  or  partly  finished 
thrown  carelessly  together  in  a  heap.  There  are  several 
ways  of  caring  for  this  detail — methods  by  which  the 
shop  will  be  made  cleaner,  the  work  better,  and  the  cost 
of  production  less.  Shelving  the  length  of  a  room  back 
of  a  row  of  machines  is  excellent.  When  parts  come  to 
the  operator  they  are  placed  in  the  top  tier  of  shelves — 
usually  only  one  deep,  so  that  they  do  not  rest  on  each 


44  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

other.  The  operator  places  his  finished  parts  in  the  lower 
tier  in  the  same  fashion. 

This  plan  of  handling  small  parts  in  process  of  con- 
struction is  especially  effective  in  shops  where  carriers 
are  employed  to  distribute  and  gather  up  material  and 
parts,  since  the  operator  and  carrier  can  work  without 
interference  and  no  mistakes  can  be  made.  The  shelves 
can  be  built  any  desired  depth  or  height  to  fit  different 
pieces  and  classes  of  work.  When  a  workman  is  busied 
at  a  machine  and  has  no  bench,  these  shelves  can  be 
provided  in  the  form  of  a  cabinet  or  a  portable  table. 
Tools  and  work  can  then  be  kept  neatly  together.  An- 
other system  of  shelving,  useful  in  storing  small  parts, 
works  in  well  where  the  carrier  system  has  been  adopted. 

This  type  of  shelving  has  an  advantage  also  in  being 
fire-proof  and  practically  indestructible.  Metal  only  is 
used  in  its  construction,  and  the  complete  affair  can  be 
built  up  from  sheet  iron  and  piping  which  has  outlived 
its  usefulness  for  carrying  steam  or  water.  The  rack  is 
made  by  slipping  iron  rings  over  the  vertical  pipes,  pass- 
ing iron  rods  through  a  hole  in  the  ring,  and  when  the 
spacing  is  right,  one  set  screw  clamps  the  whole.  The 
sheet  iron  shelving  is  sprung  into  place.  Because  it 
is  made  half-round  in  cross-sect  ion,  this  sheet  iron  shelv- 
ing is  easily  kept  clean,  and  small  parts  can  be  removed 
without  fumbling  in  corners.  Plate  III  shows  a  neat  and 
workman-like  tool  arrangement. 

Saving  Duplicate  Machinery 

ON  a  recent  trip  through  one  of  the  mills  of  a  lead 
ing  cement  company,  I  saw  a  unique  application 
of  the  motor-drive  to  rotary  kilns,  which,  with  modifi- 
cations, can  be  adapted  to  a  great  variety  of  machinery. 
In  making  cement,  after  all  the  ingredients  have  been 


STUDYING  YOUR  MACHINES  45 

crushed  and  mixed  they  are  calcined  in  long  rotary 
kilns.  The  fuel  is  pulverized  coal,  which  is 
lighted  at  the  mouth  of  the  kiln  and  carried  through  the 
mass  by  a  blast  furnished  by  a  rotary  fan.  In  this 
particular  mill  there  is  a  battery  of  a  dozen  or  more 
kilns  in  operation,  each  with  an  individual  motor-driven 
blast  fan. 

All  kilns,  after  having  been  put  in  operation  have  to 
be  worked  continuously,  day  and  night.  If  a  kiln  stops, 
not  only  is  all  the  material  which  it  contains  at  that  time 
lost,  but  it  is  necessary  to  wait  thirty-six  hours  until 
the  kiln  becomes  cool  enough  to  remove  the  spoiled  ma- 
terial and  prepare  it  for  another  run. 

The  kiln  itself  revolves  at  a  slow  speed,  so  that  there 
is  very  little  wear,  but  the  fans  and  motor  which  run  at 
high  speed  are  apt  to  require  repairs  at  intervals. 

Back  of  the  row  of  blowers  runs  a  truck  carrying  a 
small  platform  car,  and  this  car  is  made  an  auxiliary  to 
the  fan  and  motor.  When,  at  any  time,  it  is  found 
necessary  to  disconnect  the  regular  equipment,  this  truck 
is  run  out  opposite  that  particular  kiln;  its  discharge 
pipe  is  coupled  to  the  Y  pipe  in  the  main  pipe  and  the 
auxiliary  blower  is  started.  In  this  way  not  only  is 
that  particular  batch  of  cement  saved,  but  there  is  no 
time  lost  in  recharging  the  kiln.  It  is  moreover  unneces- 
sary to  supply  a  double  motor  equipment  with  each  kiln, 
since  the  single  motor  run  on  trucks  forms  a  flexible 
auxiliary  equipment. 

Reducing  Pattern  Shop  Breakagt 

TELPHER  systems  are  valuable  adjuncts  to  a  com- 
plete system  of  interfactory  communication.     This 
method  of  transferring  material  quickly  is  particularly 
applicable  in  the  pattern  and  storage  departments.  Deli- 


46  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

cate  patterns  can  be  transported  safely  by  this  means, 
since  the  amount  of  handling  is  minimized  and  there  is 
no  liability  of  heavy  parts  being  placed  upon  the  pat- 
terns, as  is  the  case  when  the  transfer  is  made  by  trucks 
or  cars. 

In  practical  work,  compressed  air  and  electricity  are 
the  principal  motive  powers  for  cranes  and  hoists.  Un- 
til recently  direct  current  electric  motors  only  were 
available  for  hoist  purposes,  and  provision  had  to  be 
made  for  a  supply  of  direct  current  electricity. 

On  account  of  the  saving  in  transmission,  the  adoption 
of  alternating  current  for  machine  shop  work  is 
becoming  more  and  more  frequent. 

With  the  increasing  use  of  alternating  current  for 
other  classes  of  power-service,  however,  an  alternating 
current  crane  motor  has  been  developed,  so  that  cranes 
can  now  be  operated  on  the  alternating  current  circuit. 
This  does  away  with  the  need  for  transforming  from 
alternating  to  direct  current  and  saves  considerable 
initial  investment  in  rotary  converters  and  transformers 
when  the  main  supply  is  delivered  as  alternating  current. 

A  Labor  Saving  Pattern  Bench 

A    GOOD  mechanic  never  complains  of  his  tools." 
Perhaps  it  is  for  that    reason    that    many    me- 
chanics  work   under   difficulties   and,   therefore,   ineffi- 
ciently.    The  best  arrangement  of  good  tools  is  con- 
ducive to  the  greatest  economy  of  output. 

A  pattern  bench  designed  primarily  as  part  of  the 
re-equipped  pattern  shops  of  the  Worcester  Polytech- 
nic Institute  is  adaptable  as  well  to  commercial  pattern 
making  on  a  large  scale.  The  bench  was  built  at  the 
Institute  shops,  and  its  design  was  settled  upon  only 
after  practical  tests  of  its  adaptability  had  been  made. 


STUDYING  YOUR  MACHINES  47 

Two  strong  points  in  this  bench  are  the  vise  and  the 
lighting  arrangement.  Under  ordinary  conditions,  a 
pattern  maker  works  at  a  disadvantage  with  his  vise. 
Either  he  has  to  sit  down  to  work  and  can  only  get  at 
one  side  of  the  job,  easily,  or  he  has  to  stand  and  stoop 
over  the  piece  upon  which  he  is  busied. 

Both  these  difficulties  are  overcome  in  this  bench. 
The  cast  iron  leg  which  supports  the  maple  bench  top  has 
a  grooved  projection  in  which  the  fixed  jaw  of  the  vise 
is  held  by  a  bolt  and  hand-nut.  This  bolt  slides  verti- 
cally in  a  slot  and  can  be  secured  where  desired. 

For  keeping  the  jaws  parallel  the  crossed  pivoted 
strips — the  lazy-tongs  parallel  motion  device — are  fitted 
between  the  jaws.  In  this  way  the  vise  is  nearly  as 
quick  acting  as  the  trade  scheme  used  for  this  purpose. 
Good  light,  where  needed,  is  supplied  by  an  ingenious 
electric  fixture.  The  wiring  is  all  placed  on  the  ceil- 
ing of  the  room  below,  and  the  lamp  is  wired  through  a 
flexible  pipe  connection  so  that  the  light  is  available 
where  wanted  and  the  air  is  free  from  lamp  cords  and 
swinging  shades,  always  in  the  way. 

A  Quick  Method  of  Soldering 

A     MANUFACTURER     of    oil    lanterns    recently 
adopted   electric  soldering  irons  to   do  the  work 
for  which  he  had  formerly  used  a  gas-heated  iron.     By 
this  means  he  reduced  the  leaky  cans  from  five  per  cent 
to  one-half  per  cent. 

It  was  found  that  with  a  flame  or  coal-heated  iron, 
the  workman  was  constantly  tempted  to  use  the  solder- 
ing point  when  it  was  too  cool  to  do  good  work.  With 
the  electric  iron,  the  soldering  copper  was  held  constantly 
at  the  proper  temperature  and  good  work  assured.  With 
the  electric  method,  too,  it  was  unnecessary  for  a  work- 


48  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

man  to  exchange  irons,  so  that  five  per  cent  gain  in  out- 
put was  possible. 

In  making  use  of  electricity  for  any  heating  work — 
glue-pots,  flat-irons  or  branding  irons — certain  points 
should  be  observed  if  good  results  are  to  be  obtained. 
An  electrically  heated  device  has  a  certain  amount  of 
energy  put  into  it  at  a  certain  rate.  If  the  work  re- 
quired of  the  iron  is  too  rapid  for  the  rate  of  input, 
cold  irons  and  poor  soldering  will  result.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  an  iron  which  is  designed  for  heavy,  con- 
tinuous work  is  allowed  to  stand  with  the  current  flow- 
ing into  it,  the  heat  energy  is  not  dissipated  rapidly 
enough  from  the  surface  of  the  iron,  and  the  solder  is 
burned  off. 

These  characteristics  of  electrically  heated  devices 
make  necessary  some  engineering  judgment  in  their  se- 
lection. With  proper  investigation,  however,  many  time- 
saving  devices  may  be  employed.  A  recent  law  in  New 
Jersey  demanded  the  stamping  of  butterine  tubs  with 
the  name  of  their  contents.  One  manufacturer  started 
in  by  heating  each  letter  in  a  coal  fire  and  applying  it 
in  order  to  form  the  name.  An  electric  butterine  brand- 
ing iron  does  the  work  in  a  fraction  of  the  time. 


Look  Ahead 

THE  manager  of  every  factory — 
whether  he  makes  steam  rollers  or 
shoes — must  run  his  plant  by  a  plan. 
To  figure  costs  closely,  each  future  step 
between  buying  the  raw  material  and 
selling  the  finished  product  must  be 
definitely  marked.  Robert  Daily 


CHAPTER  VI 
Handling  Material  Economically 

A  SALESMAN  was  talking  one  day  with  the  manager 
of  a  horse  blanket  factory.  As  they  sat  in  his  office, 
a  man  came  in  who  was  selling  harness  buckles  at  a  very 
low  price.  The  manager  at  once  became  interested 
and  called  in  his  foreman  to  find  out  what  they  paid  for 
these  buckles. 

When  the  foreman  saw  the  goods  the  man  had  to 
offer  he  pronounced  them  nearly  as  good  as  those  which 
he  was  already  using,  and  offered  the  man  a  little  less 
than  the  wholesale  price  which  he  had  been  paying.  The 
man  agreed  with  alacrity  and  the  sale  was  effected  with- 
out more  words. 

When  the  foreman  left  the  room,  the  manager  of  the 
plant  asked  the  man  where  he  got  the  buckles  and  his 
reply  opened  the  manager's  eyes  to  the  waste  which  had 
been  going  on  steadily  in  the  factory  without  his  knowl- 
edge. 

"You  know/'  said  the  bargainer,  "that  your  foreman 
gives  the  sweepings  of  the  factory  to  my  brother,  and 
I  look  them  over  and  sort  out  anything  of  value  which 
I  find.  I  found  those  buckles  scattered  through  the 
sweepings  from  time  to  time,  and  saved  them  up  until  I 
had  a  quantity  worth  selling. " 


40 


50  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

Buying  the  same  material  twice  is  an  apparent 
blunder;  handling  it  twice  may  be  as  real  an  error. 

Cheapening  the  Cost  of  Raw  Material 

IN  many  lines  of  manufacture,  the  source  of  raw  ma- 
terials each  year  grows  farther  from  the  factory.  This 
is  particularly  true  in  wood-working  plants  of  all  kinds. 
Shops  which  formerly  found  a  source  of  supply  in 
forests  at  reasonable  distances  from  their  incoming  plat- 
forms, are  shipping  unfinished  stock  from  longer  and 
longer  distances.  The  wood  near  most  manufacturing 
centers,  particularly  in  the  East,  was  long  ago  stripped 
from  the  hills,  and  the  rivers  which  next  served  to  float 
the  logs  down  to  the  mills  from  wooded  sections  at  more 
distant  points,  are  each  spring  having  a  shorter  "high- 
water"  season,  during  which  the  output  of  the  winter 
logging  camps  can  be  floated.  Forestry  is  striving  to 
remedy  the  results  of  the  reckless  use  of  natural  resources 
which  has  led  to  these  conditions;  but  reforestation  is 
necessarily  slow,  and  meanwhile  raw  material  must  be 
obtained  from  long  distances  by  rail.  Freight  rates,  as 
a  consequence,  form  a  most  important  item  in  the  cost 
of  the  stuff  that  goes  to  make  up  the  product. 

To  cheapen  the  cost  of  production  several  methods 
are  in  operation.  Manufacturers  band  together  in  a 
common  cause  and  seek  some  source  of  supply  which 
can  be  developed  economically.  Different  methods  of 
construction,  too,  are  being  adopted  more  and  more,  in 
an  attempt  to  reduce  the  amount  of  costly  wood  in  a 
piece.  In  this  connection  built-up  parts  and  veneers  are 
being  generally  substituted  for  solid  woods. 

A  third  way  of  solving  the  problem  is  that  of  carry- 
ing the  process  of  manufacture  to  a  certain  point  in  a 
separate  plant  located  at  the  base  of  raw  material  sup- 


HANDLING  MATERIAL  ECONOMICALLY    51 

plies,  and  shipping  the  less  bulky  partly  finished  prod- 
uct to  the  old  plant,  where  the  material  is  worked  up 
into  form  and  from  which  distribution  of  the  finished 
product  is  made.  This  method  has  been  very  satisfac- 
torily worked  out  by  a  large  basket  manufacturer  in 
the  East.  Among  the  products  of  his  company  is  a  line 
of  cylindrical  containing  drums  built  up  with  veneers. 
Formerly  the  logs  from  which  the  veneer  was  peeled  were 
delivered  at  the  factory.  As  the  distance  from  which 
the  logs  had  to  come  grew  greater,  however,  the  freight 
charges  on  the  raw  material  gradually  assumed  pro- 
hibitive proportions. 

Consequently  a  large  tract  of  timber  land  was  pur- 
chased several  hundred  miles  from  the  basket  shops,  and 
at  this  point  a  steam  saw  and  veneer  mill  was  established 
to  work  up  the  logs  into  veneer  directly  on  the  ground. 
In  this  form  raw  material  is  shipped  to  the  mill.  Since 
the  thin,  flat  veneer  will  pack  closer  and  is  easier  to 
handle  than  the  logs,  the  freight  charges  have  been  re- 
duced to  such  a  point  that  the  plant  not  only  pays  for 
itself,  but  makes  the  raw  material  considerably  cheaper. 
Moreover,  the  material  is  of  a  better  quality,  since  the 
selective  process  can  be  carried  further  in  choosing  the 
logs.  The  concern  is  also  independent  of  outside  raw 
material  sources  and  can  regulate  supply  and  demand 
to  meet  conditions  of  trade  as  it  fluctuates  with  the 
seasons. 

Making  Non-productive  Time  Productive 

THE  machine  operator  who  is  tooling  heavy  parts 
should  have  plenty  of  room,  and  should  have  his 
work  arranged  around  him  systematically.     In  a  large 
western  machine  shop  the  lathes  are  ranged  along  the 
entire  side  of  a  room,  but  on  both  sides  of  the  machines 


52  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

are  broad  aisles.  The  parts  on  which  an  operator  is  to 
work  are  always  deposited  on  his  right;  he  places  the 
finished  parts  on  his  left. 

These  heavy  pieces  are  brought  on  trucks.  By  this 
system  the  trucker  runs  down  the  right  side,  depositing 
his  load;  he  comes  back  up  the  left  side,  taking  on  all 
the  parts  he  finds.  Confusion  and  mistakes  are  avoided. 

A  Supplies  Patrol  That  Economized  Time 

A  RAILROAD  shop  in  the  West  has  a  very  com- 
plete annunciator  board  in  the  tool  room.  A 
workman  pushes  a  button  and  a  ooy  goes  out  to  get  in- 
struction. It  may  be  a  new  file  or  any  other  needful 
tool  that  is  required.  Perhaps  the  lathe  or  planer  tools 
or  milling  cutter  needs  sharpening. 

This  shop  has  established  standards  for  the  angle  of 
lathe  and  planer  tools.  The  room  is  equipped  with 
a  grinder  that  is  far  and  away  ahead  of  the  old  grind- 
stone of  funereal  pace,  remembered  only  as  a  good  ex- 
cuse for  gossip  and  delays.  The  new  grinder  gospel  backs 
up  its  doctrines  with  devices  and  diagrams  ensuring  the 
repetition  of  such  forms  to  the  cutting  tools  as  the  best 
available  experience  has  there  determined.  No  more 
waits.  The  machinery  and  the  men  have  longer  spells 
of  combined  action. 

Another  shop  does  not  depend  so  much  on  the  messen- 
ger system.  Here  there  is  a  signal  scheme.  A  strip  of 
board  attached  to  the  nearest  post  arrests  the  attention 
of  the  patrol  who  takes  a  hand  in  tightening  a  belt,  sup- 
plying oil  or  a  bunch  of  waste  or  wipe  cloth  or  whatever 
may  be  needed. 

These  strips  of  board  projecting  from  the  posts,  can 
be  seen  at  a  considerable  distance  and,  as  many  of  the 
supplies  are  indicated  by  the  particular  signal,  the 


HANDLING  MATERIAL  ECONOMICALLY     53 

double  trip  of  the  other  system — the  messenger  and  the 
push  button — is  cut  to  a  single  journey  in  most  cases. 

Facts  as  a  Basis  for  Buying  Cheaply 

WHILE  much  depends  on  the  business  sense  and 
personal  equation  of  the  buyer  in  the  purchasing 
department,  the  basis  of  his  judgment  is  dependent  prim- 
arily on  efficient  stock  keeping  and  proper  testing.  The 
buyer  must  keep  his  fingers,  too,  on  the  pulse  of  the 
market.  Trade  journals  and  periodicals  should  be  sys- 
tematically read  to  give  the  general  tone  of  trade  con- 
ditions, and  much  can  be  learned  from  the  buyer's  other 
half — the  seller — who  is  a  traveling  directory  of  busi- 
ness conditions.  A  good  buyer,  with  a  keen  knowledge 
of  men,  can  profit  materially  from  his  daily  interview 
with  the  salesmen  he  meets. 

[Handling  Cotton  Waste  Economically 

IN  nearly  all  machine  shops,  factories  and  manufac- 
turing plants,  the  cost  of  consumable  supplies,  such 
as  waste  and  oil,  becomes  a  matter  of  considerable  im- 
portance, however  economical  may  be  the  methods  by 
which  they  may  be  purchased,  stored,  issued  and  ac- 
counted for. 

The  successful  and  economical  handling  of  this  matter 
depends  on  three  factors:  first,  the  purchase  of  the 
necessary  supplies ;  second,  the  proper  method  of  storing 
them;  third,  their  economical  distribution  or  issue. 

The  following  system,  where  it  is  strictly  adhered  to, 
will  save  much  time  and  expense  in  any  large  factory, 
and  will,  moreover,  instil  into  the  minds  of  employees  the 
necessity  of  economy  in  using  material. 

The  handling  of  cotton  waste  (or  such  other  material) 
offers  an  illustration  of  the  methods  to  be  used,  but 


54  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

there  is  hardly  any  substitute  for  cotton  waste  in  clean- 
ing high  grade  machinery,  and  a  great  many  concerns 
who  have  experimented  with  substitutes  have  given  them 
up  after  a  short  trial  and  gone  back  to  the  more  ex- 
pensive waste.  The  material  used  for  the  purpose  of 
cleaning  work  and  machines  should  have  good  absorb- 
ent qualities  and  be  convenient  to  handle.  If  cotton 
waste,  it  should  have  sufficient  adhesive  qualities  to  pre- 
vent short  fibres  or  masses  of  lint  from  becoming  loos- 
ened from  the  mass ;  and  it  should  have  been  disinfected. 

There  are  various  grades  of  white  and  colored  waste, 
of  long  and  short  fibre,  some  of  sufficiently  long  fibre  to 
last  through  several  washings  or  other  cleaning  pro- 
cesses, and  others  of  such  short  and  broken  fibre  as  to 
be  scarcely  better  than  ' '  shoddy. ' '  Quite  naturally,  the 
price  varies  as  much  as  the  quality ;  it  runs  all  the  way 
from  three  and  three-quarters  cents  for  the  cheapest  col- 
ored to  six  and  three-quarters  cents  a  pound  for  the  best 
grade,  and  for  white  waste  from  eight  to  fifteen  cents 
per  pound.  In  practice  it  will  not  be  found  economical 
to  purchase  the  cheaper  qualities  except  for  large  and 
coarse  work,  where  quantities  of  waste  may  be  used. 
The  best  colored  waste  at  six  and  three-quarter  cents 
per  pound  is  liable  to  contain  small,  sharp  bits  of  metal 
or  short  pointed  wires  that  find  their  way  into  it  from 
the  machinery  used  in  its  preparation.  These  are  very 
exasperating  to  the  employees,  and  there  is  always  the 
danger  of  small  punctures  of  the  hands  that  may  result 
in  blood  poisoning.  Colored  waste  has  usually  much 
less  of  the  absorbent  qualities  than  white  waste. 

The  supply  of  waste  has  been  so  reduced  by  utiliza- 
tion of  short  lengths  of  yarn  for  other  purposes  that 
various  substitutes  are  on  the  market.  These  consist 
principally  of  washed  pieces  of  white  and  colored  cotton 


HANDLING  MATERIAL  ECONOMICALLY     55 


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56 


GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 


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HANDLING  MATERIAL  ECONOMICALLY    57 

cloth  cut  from  worn  garments,  and  wiping  towels  manu- 
factured of  cotton  or  raw  silk  for  this  purpose. 

In  selecting  the  material,  the  use  to  which  it  is  to  be 
put  should  be  considered.  In  a  large  majority  of  ma- 
chine shops  and  factories  a  medium  quality  of  white 
cotton  waste  will  be  the  most  economical. 

Four  to  five  ounces  of  white  cotton  waste  of  medium 
grade  to  each  man  per  week,  will  be  sufficient.  Four 
ounces  will  usually  be  sufficient,  and  the  amount  will 
seldom  go  as  high  as  five  ounces.  This  will  give  twelve 
and  three-quarters  pounds  of  waste  per  man,  per  year,  or 
to  one  hundred  men,  twelve  hundred  and  seventy-five 
pounds.  At  nine  cents  per  pound  this  will  aggregate 
$114.75,  or  $1.1434  per  man. 

Yet  so  loose  and  extravagant  are  many  factories  that 
many  a  factory  manager  or  superintendent  will  find,  if 
he  will  make  up  his  annual  account  of  waste  purchased, 
that  he  used  double  this  amount. 

The  waste  should  be  stored  in  a  dry  place.  Only  one 
bale  should  be  opened  at  a  time,  and  then  it  should  be 
kept  properly  covered  from  dust,  dirt  and  grease. 

In  the  economical  issue  of  waste,  several  points  should 
be  borne  in  mind.  It  should  be  issued  to  employees  once 
a  week  only,  and  in  the  properly  determined  quantity, 
say  four  ounces;  these  portions  may  be  weighed  on  a 
cheap  letter  scale  costing  less  than  a  dollar.  No  issue 
should  be  made  except  upon  the  written  order  of  a  fore- 
man in  each  individual  instance.  To  such  men  as  the 
engineer,  oiler  and  wipers,  the  superintendent  should 
fix  the  amount  of  weekly  issue  as  experience  may  dic- 
tate. This  amount  should  not  be  exceeded  except  on  the 
written  order  of  the  superintendent. 

Where  the  entire  issue  of  the  week  is  made  at  a  regu- 
larly announced  time,  it  need  require  but  a  half-hour 


58  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

of  the  stockkeeper's  time.  He  has  a  vertical  case  of 
pigeonholes,  each  four  inches  square  and  four  inches 
deep,  and  numbered  to  correspond  with  the  men's  num- 
bers. He  places  a  four-ounce  portion  in  each,  ready  for 
issue.  Every  man  gives  his  check  number  as  he  comes 
to  the  window,  and  receives  his  portion.  The  empty 
pigeonholes  show  to  whom  the  issues  have  been  made. 
When  this  issue  is  complete  the  case  is  set  aside  until 
wanted  the  following  week.  Thus,  with  even  an  hour 
each  week  for  the  issue  of  waste  to  one  hundred  men,  by 
a  young  man  whose  rate  is  fifteen  cents  per  hour,  the 
annual  cost  would  be  less  than  eight  dollars,  and  the 
saving  of  fifty  per  cent,  which  can  nearly  always  be 
made  by  this  method,  is  over  a  hundred  dollars  to  each 
hundred  employees.  And  the  moral  effect  of  this  sys- 
tematic method  is  a  considerable  gain  in  itself. 


The  Speed  Limit 

MACHINE  productivity  is  fixed  by 
the  weakest  part  of  the  mechan- 
ism. Up  to  a  certain  point  machines 
may  be  speeded  to  a  greater  output; 
beyond  this  point  the  tool  will  fail. 
But  between  this  point  and  the  low 
limit  is  a  field  in  which  output  can 
often  be  increased  by  a  few  simple 
changes  in  speed  mechanism.  A  per- 
centage of  output  which  will  change 
loss  to  profit  may  result  from  an  hour's 
work — a  dollar  of  expense. 

Carl  Bender 


CHAPTER  VII 
Factory  Systems  That  Have  Cut  Costs 

WORK  on  machine  shop  orders  is  often  contingent 
on  the  completion  of  special  tools  and  jigs  without 
which  the  customer's  order  cannot  be  filled.  These  spe- 
cial jobs  in  the  shop  are  often  lost  sight  of  when  regular 
work  is  being  pushed  through  the  plant,  unless  some 
system  is  used  which  keeps  tab  on  special  work  more  or 
less  automatically,"  said  the  manager  of  the  Gisholt 
Machine  Company. 

''We  have  adopted  a  system  in  our  shop  which  has  been 
found  very  useful  by  the  foreman  of  the  tool  depart- 
ment, and  which  relieves  him  greatly  of  detail  work  in 
following  up  special  orders.  For  each  special  tool  or 
job  a  card  is  made  out  similar  to  that  in  the  rack  il- 
lustrated in  Plate  IV.  On  this  ticket  spaces  are  ar- 
ranged for  the  order  number,  the  shop  order  symbols, 
the  date  the  job  is  to  be  started,  the  date  completed,  and 
remarks.  At  the  bottom  of  the  ticket,  as  indicated,  the 
various  operations  through  which  the  tool  passes  while 
being  built,  are  printed.  Two  kinds  of  tickets  are  used, 
one  blue  and  one  white.  Rush  orders  are  scheduled  on 
the  blue  cards,  not  on  red  color,  for  this  purpose. " 

Probably  the  most  novel  feature  of  this  scheme  is  the 
arrangement  for  filing  these  tickets.  Between  the  tool 


59 


60  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

designer's  office  and  the  tool  department  is  a  glass  door. 
Across  the  glass  panels,  as  shown  in  the  illustration,  two 
metal  racks  are  screwed.  Each  card  slides  vertically 
into  the  pocket  in  this  rack  so  that  the  height  of  the 
card  can  be  easily  adjusted.  The  clip  holds  the  ticket 
in  any  given  position.  The  general  arrangement  is  made 
clear  by  the  picture. 

These  racks  are  on  the  office  side  of  the  glass  panel 
door,  and  the  cards,  which  are  printed  on  both  sides,  can 
be  read  on  either  side  of  the  door.  Peep  holes  in  the 
middle  of  the  rack  enable  the  designer  or  any  of  the 
foremen  on  the  machine  shop  side  of  the  door  to  know 
the  exact  location  of  all  orders  in  the  shop. 

Each  day,  reports  are  made  to  the  office  of  the  tool 
designer  on  the  condition  of  the  various  orders,  and  the 
figures  are  adjusted  so  that  the  cards  indicate  each  morn- 
ing  just  where  the  work  stands. 

The  tool  designer  in  this  way  can  tell  at  a  glance  how 
much  it  will  take  to  complete  a  job.  The  time  the  rush 
orders  were  received  and  the  general  tool  orders  going 
through  the  shop  is  clearly  apparent,  and  any  hold  up 
of  any  of  the  different  jobs  can  be  detected  instantly. 
It  is  not  necessary,  therefore,  for  the  foremen  in  the 
shop  to  bother  the  tool  designer  with  questions  as  to 
the  whereabouts  of  each  job  since  they  can  get  the  in- 
formation for  themselves  by  reading  through  the  glass 
panel  of  the  door. 

Safe  Guarding  Order  Form 

TT  is  often  good  business  policy,  in  making  carbons 
••"  of  an  order  sheet,  to  have  the  duplicates  attached 
to  the  original  order  so  as  to  prevent  any  possibility 
of  an  unauthorized  order  reaching  the  operating,  book- 
keeping or  stockkeeping  departments.  This  can  be  satis- 


SYSTEMS  THAT  HAVE  CUT  COSTS          61 

factorily  done  by  using  a  single  sheet  in  place  of  the 
" original'*  sheet  and  the  three  separate  duplicates  ordi- 
narily required.  This  single  sheet,  Form  I,  has  three 
horizontal  perforated  lines  dividing  it  into  fourths. 
Parts  1  and  3  are  printed  as  required  on  one  side,  parts 
2  and  4  on  the  other. 

When  folded,  all  four  sides  are  face  up,  folding  being 
done  by  turning  leaf  1  back  over  leaf  2,  forming  the 
first  duplicate. 

The  second  duplicate,  or  the  third  sheet  of  the  series, 
is  folded  under  sheet  number  2.  Finally,  sheet  number 
4  is  folded  upward  and  under  sheet  number  3.  In  the  il- 
lustration, the  folded  form  is  shown,  with  the  corners 
turned  back  in  order  to  display  the  different  quarters  of 
the  sheet. 

In  inserting  the  carbons,  one  may  be  short  or  cut  out 
over  the  "quantity"  column,  if  it  is  wished  to  use 
"blind"  checking. 

The  advantages  of  this  little  system — in  addition  to 
the  fact  that  it  prevents  any  chance  for  falsification  of 
records— are  that  there  is  but  one  sheet  to  keep  in  stock, 
and  as  a  consequence  the  number  of  supplies  to  keep 
track  of  or  be  wasted  is  cut  down ;  and  second,  that  when 
the  printing  is  accurately  done,  it  makes  alignment  per- 


Form  I:  By  folding  the  order  sheet  as  here  shown,  four  copies  can  be  made  at  once 


62  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

feet,  each  figure  lining  accurately  with  the  one  above 
or  below  it. 

This  method  is  applicable  to  a  great  many  forms 
which  are  used  in  sets,  as  those  in  the  purchasing  and 
shipping  departments. 

How  a  Foreman  Pushed  Orders 

TIME  was  when  a  foreman  could  keep  in  his  head  all 
the  orders  he  signed  for  repairs,  parts  and  mate- 
rials, but  with  the  greater  amount  of  detail  work  pass- 
ing daily  through  the  shop,  it  is  impossible  for  any  man 
to  remember  either  the  amount  of  material  or  the  date 
on  which  it  is  due. 

* '  The  foreman  of  our  factory  uses  this  system, ' '  said  a 
well-known  implement  maker. 

"Our  orders  are  made  out  on  this  blank  (See  Form 
II)  and  I  am  careful  to  keep  a  duplicate  blank  of  every 
order  that  goes  through  my  hands.  I  arrange  all  these 
copies  according  to  the  date  of  delivery  in  an  ordinary 
index  with  tab  cards  corresponding  to  the  days  in  the 
month. 

"Each  morning  I  take  out  the  previous  orders  which 
are  due  on  that  day  and  check  them  off.  If  the  order 
has  already  been  delivered  that  fact  has  been  brought  to 
my  attention  and  the  order  blank  duplicate  has  been 
removed  from  the  file  and  destroyed.  But  if  there  has 
been  delay  in  getting  out  the  order,  I  can  immediately 
get  in  touch  with  the  department  involved  and  learn 
definitely  whether  the  material  will  be  delivered  on  that 
date.  This  fixes  responsibility  promptly  for  all  orders 
in  my  department,  and  I  have  time  to  figure  out  new 
ways  of  doing  work.  Ordinarily  the  foreman  has  a 
hard  time  without  a  system.  For  instance  a  die  might 
need  repairing.  He  sends  it  to  the  tool  room  and  states 


SYSTEMS  THAT  HAVE  CUT  COSTS 


ORDER  BLANK 


v  TO  BE  USED  ON 


DCSCRl  PTtON 


.CHARGED  TO  ACCOUNT  NO  „ 
FOR"  . !  OtUVCREO       PRICE  COST 


N.  0.     At-t.  OBDtCRS    MUST  STATE 
.EXPLICITLY  FOR  WHAT  USED 


Form  II:  This  card  enables  a  foreman  to  keep  tab  on  his  orders  for  tools  and  supplies 

about  when  he  wants  it.  Then,  in  the  course  of  the 
day's  work,  he  forgets  all  about  the  matter,  and  it  is 
not  called  up  until  that  particular  die  is  needed  to  get 
out  a  certain  piece  of  work  in  the  shop.  Then  he  imme- 
diately calls  up  the  tool  room,  and  very  probably  dis- 
covers that  the  die  has  been  laid  aside  for  some  more 
novel  work  and  is  still  untouched. 

"Some  time  then  has  to  be  wasted  in  figuring  out 
how  to  do  that  particular  job  without  this  particular 
die,  and  very  likely  the  foreman  has  a  certain  number 
of  the  parts  made  by  hand  to  meet  the  requirements  of 
the  order  until  the  die  is  completed  by  the  now  well 
aroused  tool  room." 

Labor  and  Progress  Records  to  Increase  Output 

WHERE  large  contracts  are  paid  for  on  a  percentage 
basis  as  work   progresses,   the   inspector  often 
has  a  very  intricate  guess  to  make  as  to  the  progress 


64  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

made.  His  guess  is  almost  sure  to  be  far  from  the  truth, 
and  as  liable  to  favor  the  contractor  as  his  employer. 

In  order  that  the  factor  of  uncertainty  might  be  re- 
duced to  a  minimum,  the  blank  shown  in  Form  III  was 
devised  for  use  in  connection  with  the  contract  for  a 
large  rolling  mill  engine,  the  price  of  which  was  $54,000, 
to  be  paid  for  monthly  as  the  work  progressed,  less  a 
percentage  held  back  for  a  given  time  after  completion. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  work  to  be  performed  is 
divided  on  the  blank  into  a  number  of  sections,  and  the 
sections  again  subdivided  for  the  various  operations  to 
be  performed.  A  proportionate  value  is  given  to  each 
section  and  subdivision,  which  can  be  taken  from  the 
contractor's  estimate,  and  checked  with  known  costs  of 
similar  work. 

In  the  blank  shown  one  thousand  points  represent 
$54,000,  the  total  amount  of  the  contract,  and  the  num- 
ber of  points  assigned  to  each  section  and  subdivision  are 
proportional  to  their  value  compared  with  $54,000. 

The  inspector  marks  in  the  proper  space  the  number 
of  points  representing  the  progress  of  the  work  in  each 
subdivision.  These  are  totals  in  the  column  marked 
" Number  of  points  completed,"  and  the  grand  total  of 
this  latter  column  gives  the  progress  of  work  in  thous- 
andths of  the  whole.  This  type  of  report  blank  is  appli- 
cable to  almost  all  contracts  which  are  paid  for  on  a 
percentage  basis. 

Cutting  Costs  in  Raw  Material 

IN  looking  about  the  manufacturing  plant  for  an  op- 
portunity to  cut  costs,  the  materials  must  not  be 
overlooked.     Cast  iron,  for  instance,  of  which  more  is 
generally  used  than  of  any  other  material,  offers  a  good 
opportunity  for  investigation. 


SYSTEMS  THAT  HAVE  CUT  COSTS 


65 


ESTIMATE  OF  COMPLETED 
WORK                            ~            1907 

VALUE 

MOLDING 

CASTING 

MACHINING 

NO.  OF  POINTS  I 
COMPLETED  | 

54X66  REVERSING  ENGINE 

NAME  OF  PART 

1  BED  PLATE—  DOUBLE 

11O 
$5940 

33 

26 

^JL 

1  BED  PLATED-  SINGLE 

90 
S4860 

30 

14 

46 

BABBITT  FOR  BEARINGS 

SO 

15135 

$270.0 

3  TIE  PIECES  FOR  BED 

2O 

.7-v 

3 

S1O8O 

3  BEARING  CAPS,  BOXES 
AND  BOLTS 

6O 

20 

40 

$3240 

..:•';/ 

^==^^===^-^=^^ 

<^^.  :"-— 

L— 

2  CROSS  HEAD  PINS 
AND  NUTS 

":J5 

2 

3 

$2  tO 

2  CONNECTING  RODS 

|vT5' 

3O 

45 

$4050, 

CRAN  K  SH  AFT  AN  D  PINS 

6O 

30 

30 

$3240 

CRANK  DISKS 

40 

20 

20 

$2160 

VALVE  G  EAR  CO  M  PLET  E 

j      .     ;       ;     .'.  ••::••    "             ;    v  ±  -m  •:•.•••  '£££ 

2OO 

50 

150 

$10800 

ERECTION,  BOLTS  ETC. 

75 

75 

$405O 

.  lOOO    TOTAL  :- 
11    III    „  INSPECTOR  f 

Form  III:  Keeping  records  on  a  big  factory  job  by  the  "point"  system  insures  accuracy 


66  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

Castings  are  usually  furnished  by  the  pound.  It  is  for 
the  interest  of  the  iron  foundry  that  as  much  weight 
should  be  charged  for  as  possible;  hence,  the  pattern 
is  wrapped  more  than  necessary  before  it  is  drawn  from 
the  sand,  and  by  this  enlargement  and  the  swelling  of 
the  casting,  due  to  the  loosely  rammed  sand,  consider- 
able weight  is  added.  This  extra  weight  will  add  from 
five  to  ten  per  cent  to  the  foundry  bill. 

Further,  in  castings  that  are  to  be  machined,  the  extra 
weight  and  the  extra  dimensions  must  be  machined  off. 
This  work  will  add  ten  to  twenty  per  cent  to  the  labor 
bills. 

What  is  the  remedy?  Have  sample  castings  made 
that  are  as  nearly  true  to  pattern  as  possible.  Let  the 
weight  of  these  samples  be  the  standard  weight  for  fixing 
the  price  per  piece,  not  per  pound.  Then  it  will  be  well 
to  the  interest  of  the  foundry  to  see  that  there  is  no 
unnecessary  overweight,  since  every  pound  extra  would 
result  in  loss  to  them. 

Another  point.  The  buyer  should  frequently  in- 
vestigate the  quality  of  the  castings,  bearing  in  mind 
that  the  addition  of  cheap  scrap  iron  tends  to  harden 
the  castings,  and  while  it  is  a  saving  to  the  foundry  the 
extra  cost  of  working  up  the  castings  in  the  machine 
shop  more  than  overbalances  that.  This  cost  will  run 
all  the  way  from  thirty  to  one  hundred  per  cent  for  the 
labor  of  machining,  not  to  mention  the  large  extra  ex- 
pense of  keeping  tools  in  order  and  the  not  infrequent 
cost  of  new  tools,  particularly  milling  cutters  that  are 
ruined  by  the  extra  strain  of  use  on  the  hard  castings. 

A  close  investigation  of  these  matters  will  account  for 
many  of  the  increased  costs  that  perhaps  have  not  here- 
tofore been  possible  of  so  clear  and  satisfactory  an  ex- 
planation as  is  desirable. 


SYSTEMS  THAT  HAVE  CUT  COSTS          67 


Form  IV:  Used  for  a  perpetual  inventory  of  incoming  and  outgoing  wheat  shipmen  t 

Keeping  Stock  in  a  Flour  Mill 
I  OR  this  purpose  a  perpetual  stock  record  should  be 


F 


kept.  This  can  be  handled  very  nicely  with  the  card 
system.  The  form  should,  however,  be  made  to  fit  the 
special  requirements  of  the  business. 

A  card  should  be  used  for  each  grade  of  wheat,  showing 
at  the  top  the  grade  and  where  stored.  If  the  same 
grade  of  wheat  is  stored  in  two  or  more  elevators,  cards 
should  be  used  for  each  elevator.  As  the  wheat  is  re- 
ceived, enter  on  this  card  the  date,  car  number  and 
initial,  and  the  weight.  Shipments  are  also  entered  on 
the  card,  showing  car  number,  initial  and  weight,  while 
wheat  sent  to  the  mill  is  entered  by  weight  only.  At  the 
extreme  right  the  balance  is  extended.  This  shows  the 
quantity  by  weight  and  also  in  bushels,  with  the  price 
and  total  value.  If  wheat  is  shipped  or  used  in  the 
mill,  the  quantity  is  deducted  from  the  quantity  received, 
extending  the  quantity  on  hand  in  the  balance  column. 


68  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

This  gives  a  perpetual  inventory.  When  a  card  is  filled, 
the  balance  is  simply  carried  forward  to  a  new  card,  re- 
moving the  first  one  from  the  active  file.  This  keeps  the 
records  up  to  date,  with  no  dead  matter  to  handle  over. 
These  cards  also  furnish  a  record  of  the  quantity  of  wheat 
handled  and  the  quantity  shipped  or  milled  during  a 
given  period. 

A  record  of  this  kind  may  be  easily  adapted  to  the 
business  of  storage  whether  of  grain  or  other  commodities. 

Keeping  Output   it  Maximum 

ONE  of  the  most  important  items  to  be  considered 
in  a  manufacturing  business  is  to  get  the  very 
maximum  output  from  the  resources  of  the  factory. 
Very  often  the  difference  between  a  comfortable  output 
and  a  crowded  output  represents  the  entire  profits  of  a 
manufacturer.  A  simple  system  is  described  below  for 
following  up  and  pushing  out  orders,  that,  if  kept  up, 
should  increase  the  output  of  most  factories  at  least  15 
per  cent. 

Sheets  are  ruled  and  printed  as  shown  in  Form  V. 
Each  morning  when  orders  are  received  they  are  entered 


RECORD  OF  FAC 


ORDER 
NO. 


Form  V:  By  the  use  of  this  blank  for  all  the  work  in  progress  in  the  shop,  d 


SYSTEMS  THAT  HAVE  CUT  COSTS          69 

on  uniform  order  blanks  showing  all  technical  informa- 
tion necessary,  and  date  job  is  promised  for  delivery. 
The  factory  copies  of  orders  immediately  go  into  the 
factory  for  execution  and  the  office  copies  are  passed 
to  a  clerk  who  enters  each  order  on  the  "Follow-up 
Blank."  Each  blank  has  room  for  from  fifteen  to  fifty 
jobs,  depending  upon  the  depth  of  sheet  used,  and  covers 
a  period  of  one  month. 

Each  morning  the  clerk  whose  duty  it  is  to  keep  up 
the  record  takes  the  shipping  record  of  the  day  before 
and  scratches  out  the  check  mark  on  the  "Follow-up 
Blank"  for  all  jobs  that  were  shipped  the  day  before. 
The  "Follow-up  Blank"  is  then  given  the  manager  to 
look  over.  The  foreman  is  called  in  and  must  explain 
why  each  order  promised  for  the  day  before  was  not 
shipped.  He  must  state  just  what  progress  has  been 
made  with  each  job,  why  it  was  delayed  and  when  it  will 
be  completed.  The  old  check  mark  is  then  scratched 
out  by  the  manager  and  another  one  entered  in  a  column 
farther  along,  according  to  present  condition  of  the  job. 

A  glance  at  the  sheet  shows  when  each  order  is  prom- 
ised, when  shipped  and  what  percentage  of  orders  are 


dates  of  shipment  usually  can  be  made  to  office  with  a  considerable  degree  of  accuracy 


70  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

shipped  when  promised.  Any  one  who  has  ever  had 
anything  to  do  with  a  manufacturing  business  knows 
that  it  is  impossible  to  ship  all  orders  when  promised; 
but  when  the  foreman  knows  that  the  manager  sees  each 
morning  a  condensed  report  of  all  promises  and  all  fail- 
ures to  ship  when  promised,  and  knows  that  he  must 
explain  why  orders  were  not  shipped,  and  tell  exactly 
what  state  all  delayed  orders  are  in,  he  is  going  to  exert 
himself  briskly  and  not  allow  work  to  drag.  The '  *  ginger ' '  in- 
fused by  a  system  like  this  can  be  counted  on  to  in- 
crease the  output  to  a  very  profitable  extent. 

Distributing  General  Expense 

THE  troublesome  feature  to  deal  with  in  all  estab- 
lishments is  the  proper  distribution  and  applica- 
tion of  such  items  of  shop  and  general  expense  as  can 
not  be  apportioned  directly  to  the  various  products. 
As  it  is  necessary  to  apply  the  indivisible  expenditures 
as  a  percentage  upon  the  output  and  while  we  may  knov 
that  our  shop  and  general  expense  is  a  certain  percentage 
of  labor,  or  of  labor  and  material,  it  looks  as  if  the  goal 
had  been  reached  when  we  apply  this  percentage  uni- 
formly throughout  the  product,  but  it  is  clear  that  in 
many  establishments  manufacturing  different  articles 
this  policy  must  be  modified  according  to  the  character  of 
each  class. 

Even  assuming  that  only  one  class  of  articles  is  manu- 
factured, we  realize  that  the  arbitrary  application  of  per- 
centage is  apt  to  lead  to  error  unless  checked  at  every 
step.  We  run  but  little  risk  in  applying  the  general 
percentage  to  the  completed  machine,  but  when  it  is  ex- 
tended to  detail  parts  we  are  led  at  once  into  error,  as 
the  purchased  article  upon  which  no  manufacturing  work 
is  performed  shares  in  this  percentage  to  an  amount  that 


SYSTEMS  THAT  HAVE  CUT  COSTS          71 

should  really  be  added  to  the  manufactured  article,  and 
such  discrepancies  will  become  all  the  more  aggravated 
under  uniform  application  of  percentage,  as  conditions 
are  apt  to  change. 

We  have  in  mind  a  hypothetical  illustration  which  will 
perhaps  clear  our  meaning  on  this  particular  feature. 
Assuming  the  cost  of  a  machine  to  be  as  follows : 

Mfg. 
Material.    Labor.     Total. 

Material  manufactured $40.00      $50.00      $90.00 

Material  purchased 10.00       10.00 

Complete  article,  representing 

cost  of  material  and  labor . . .  $50.00      $50.00    $100.00 

If  our  shop  and  general  expense 
is  50  per  cent  of  our  "  Mate- 
rial and  Labor"  it  would 
add  to  the  above 50.00 

Making  the  total  cost  of  the 

machine $150.00 

This  is  correct  and  safe  as  to  the  completed  article. 
Now,  see  the  effect  of  extending  this  general  percentage 
to  details:  50  per  cent 

Shop  and 
Material.     Gen.  Ex.  Total. 

Material  manufactured  $90.00      $45.00    $135.00 

Material  purchased   on   which 

no  manufacturing  has  been 

done 10.00          5.00        15.00 

Total $150.00 

This  looks  plausible,  but  let  us  analyze  it.  We  have 
added  50  per  cent  to  the  purchased  material  upon  which 


72  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

we  have  done  no  manufacturing,  making  it  cost  $15.00. 
This  is  wrong,  as  that  material  should  bear  only  its  fair 
proportion  to  cover  handling,  and  certainly  this  would 
not  reach  50  per  cent.  As  we  have  applied  too  much 
to  this  item,  manifestly  the  cost  of  all  the  other  items 
are  rated  too  low.  To  continue  this  mode  of  figuring  on 
the  detail  items  would  soon  affect  the  balance  sheet. 

Here  are  articles  that  we  have  purchased  and  that 
anyone  else  may  purchase  at  something  like  the  same 
figures,  yet  we  rate  them  as  costing  us  50  per  cent  more 
by  reason  of  handling. 

The  consideration  of  this  subject  involves  proper  cost 
of  material,  which  should  include  invoice  price,  freight 
and  handling  from  the  receiving  to  the  shipping  door. 

The  purchased  material  upon  which  no  manufacturing 
has  been  done  should  bear  its  proper  proportion  of  shop 
and  general  expense;  all  other  material  should  be  sub- 
jected to  a  greater  percentage,  as  more  handling  is  re- 
quired before  reaching  the  manufacturing  stage.  These 
percentages  will  vary  with  every  manufacturing  estab- 
lishment, but  can  be  closely  approximated  by  a  care- 
ful  investigation. 

For  ready  example  suppose  we  add,  say  10  per  cent 
to  purchased  material  and  15  per  cent  to  material  that 
undergoes  handling  for  manufacture. 

The  remainder  of  shop  and  general  expense  should 
then  be  applied  as  a  percentage  on  the  manufacturing 
labor  involved  on  each  item. 

Applying  this  to  the  above  would  give  the  following 
results : 

The  completed  article  is  to  absorb  $50.00  of  shop  and 
general  expense. 
Purchased  material,  add  say  10  per  cent  on  $10.00 

for  handling $  1.00 


SYSTEMS  THAT  HAVE  CUT  COSTS          73 


Plate  VIII:  To  eliminate  swinging  wires  and  shades,  this  simple  gas  pipe    fixture    is 

used  in  the  Washburn  Shops  of  the  Worcester    Polytechnic  Institute. 

Wiring  is  beneath  the  floors     (See  chapter  X) 


74 


GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 


SYSTEMS  THAT  HAVE  CUT  COSTS          75 

Manufactured  material  add  say  15  per  cent  on 
$40.00  for  handling 6.00 

The  remaining  $43.00  is  to  be  distributed  accord- 
ing to  the  manufacturing  labor  performed  on 
each  article,  viz.  86  per  cent  on  $50.00 43.00 

Total  shop  and  general  expense $50.00 

This  would  leave  the  detailed  figures  as  follows : 

Bal.  S.  and 
G.  Ex.  86 
Per  Cent 
Mfg.     on  Mfg. 

Material.  Labor.    Labor.      Total. 

Material  manufactured. $46.00    $50.00     $43.00    $139.00 
Material  purchased 11.00     11.00 


Total  cost  of  detailed  parts $150.00 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  the  percentages  on  the 
detail  parts  will  always  vary  as  the  proportions  change, 
and  the  proof  or  check  upon  these  figures  is  always 
present  by  first  ascertaining  how  much  of  the  shop  and 
general  expense  in  dollars  and  cents  should  be  absorbed 
by  the  completed  work,  and  then  placing  this  in 
percentages  to  fit  the  case.  Of  course,  every  named 
item  or  separate  part  of  the  machine  should  be  con- 
sidered and  assigned  some  proportion  of  the  general  ex- 
pense. 

System  That  Saved  Labor  in  the  Shipping  Room 

THE  packing  and  shipping  room  of  the  average  fac- 
tory is,  in  almost  every  case,  the  worst  organized 
department  in  the  plant.     A  sufficient  proof  of  this  is 
in  the  fact  that  it  is  comparatively  rare  to  find  in  a 
oackhag  department   any  mechanical   devices  or  labor 


76  GEARING  UP  PRODUCTION 

saving  systems.  There  is  quite  as  much  room  for  the 
exercise  of  ingenuity  in  this  department  as  any  other 
in  a  factory — more,  in  fact,  because  so  little  has  here- 
tofore been  done  to  perfect  its  methods. 

An  arrangement  which  did  away  with  the  services  of 
two  men  out  of  three,  illustrates  the  possibilities.  It 
is  applicable  wherever  the  product  to  be  boxed  is  already 
packed  in  uniform  cartons  or  is  of  uniform  size. 

The  arrangement  consists  essentially  of  a  pivoted  cir- 
cular platform  provided  with  suitable  rollers  so  as  to 
rotate  easily,  and  with  angle  bars  fastened  to  the  upper 
surface  to  act  as  guides  or  holders  for  the  packing  boxes 
as  they  are  slid  upon  the  platform  from  the  truck  or 
conveyor. 

The  packing  boxes  are  delivered  to  the  packer  at  the 
platform  by  a  suitable  conveyor,  and  are  pushed  di- 
rectly upon  the  platform,  which  is  turned  until  the  box 
is  opposite  the  table  at  which  the  cartons  to  be  packed 
are  delivered. 

This  table  itself  is  supplied  by  an  endless  belt,  finger, 
or  any  other  form  of  light  conveyor  which  may  be  best 
suited  to  the  material  and  the  location  of  the  boxing 
room  with  reference  to  the  department  in  which  the  com- 
pleted goods  are  packed  into  the  cartons  or  labeled. 

The  packing  box  being  filled  and  nailed,  the  platform 
is  rotated  a  quarter  turn,  and  the  box  shoved  out  upon 
another  conveyor  to  be  carried  to  the  warehouse  or  ship- 
ping platform. 

If  the  packing  cases  are  heavy,  in  order  that  the 
work  may  be  further  facilitated,  the  platform  may 
have  rollers  in  the  upper  surface  to  save  labor  in  push- 
ing boxes  on  and  off.  The  platform  may  be  flush  with 
the  floor  or  at  any  convenient  height. 

One  man  does  all  the  work. 


Part  HI 


EQUIPMENT  THAT  INSURES 
MAXIMUM  PRODUCTION 

Cutting"  the  Cost 

\/'OUR  factory  equipment  is  your  cost  reducer. 
Scrutinize  each  link  in  power  production  from 
coal  pile  to  machine— boiler  room,  engine,  shafting, 
belting.  One  manager  saved  fifteen  per  cent  of  his 
cost  for  power  by  a  few  simple  changes. 

Keep  your  product  off  the  floor;  cars,  trucks,  cranes, 
hoists,  conveyors — all  help  reduce  non-productive  labor. 
A  factory  foreman  saved  seven  dollars  a  day  by  keep- 
ing goods  in  process  on  trucks. 

Good  light,  heat  and  ventilation  pay.  A  factory  manager 
by  painting  the  walls  cream-white  toned  up  his  whole 
working  force.  Hard  to  measure,  he  could  "feel"  the 
improvement  brought  about  by  this  simple  means. 

The  preventive  ounce  is  worth  a  pound  of  cure  in 
machine  protection  as  in  medicine.  Cold  economy 
alone  proves  it  cheaper  to  cover  a  gear  than  to  pay 
for  a  finger.  A  broken  crane  rope  can  be  sketched  as 
a  dollar  sign. 

Study  your  factory  equipment — it  pays. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
Producing  Power  at  Lowest  Cost 

A  REGULAR  inspection  of  shafting  and  belting  by 
a  man  or  squad  of  men  responsible  for  the  con- 
dition of  the  transmission  machinery  will  go  far  to  save 
coal.  F.  H.  Willard,  superintendent  of  the  Graton  and 
Knight  Manufacturing  Company,  says: 

"We  have  a  man  whose  business  it  is  to  oil  and  inspect 
shafting  and  belting  around  the  plant.  In  addition  to 
this  we  find  it  advisable  to  have  our  mechanical  en- 
gineer go  over  the  shafting  and  see  that  it  is  kept  in  line, 
as  shafting  is  very  apt  to  get  out  of  line  on  account  of 
the  buildings  or  floors  settling.  Moreover,  as  the  load 
varies  we  are  confident  that  a  very  large  percentage  of 
the  friction  load  in  most  driven  plants  is  due  to  shafting 
and  machinery  out  of  line,  and  to  neglected  belting. 

"We  occasionally  take  a  card  from  our  engine  to  show 
the  friction  load.  This  is  usually  done  either  at  night 
or  on  Sunday  when  none  of  the  machinery  is  running, 
and  when  compared  with  the  average  of  an  all  day  run, 
that  is,  cards  taken  every  hour  during  the  day,  shows 
the  percentage  of  friction  load  or  power  loss  in  shafting 
and  belts. 

"This  percentage  varies  considerably  in  different 
plants  in  direct  proportion  to  the  class  of  machinery 

78 


POWER  AT  LOWEST   COST 


79 


TESTS  OF  FRICTION  LOAD 

FACTORY 

AVERAGE 
LOAD 

AVERAGE 
FRICTION 

USEFUL 
WORK 

AVERAGE  LOAD 
EFFICIENCY 

LOSS  IN 
TRANSMISSION 

i 

98.6  HP. 

65.7  HP. 

22.9  HP, 

24.0     °/ 

/o 

76.0      Y 
/O 

2 

166.O  HP. 

78.0  HP. 

88.O  HP. 

S,o    -/<(. 

*T-°  % 

3 

220.  0  HP. 

49,8  HP. 

170.2  HP. 

"•o   % 

,3.0      % 

Form  I:  Tests  in  three  factories,  which  show  great  friction  losses  in  shafting  and  belting 

used — that  is,  a  plant  using  very  heavy  machinery,  re- 
quiring considerable  power,  will  show  a  small  percentage 
of  friction  load,  while  a  plant  using  light  machinery  like 
sewing  machines,  etc.,  will  show  a  heavy  percentage  of 
friction  load;  therefore,  no  really  accurate  comparison 
can  be  made  except  between  power  plants  doing  work  of 
a  similar  nature. 

1 1  This  subject  covers  a  field  to  which  very  little  atten- 
tion is  given,  and  is  one  of  the  most  important  items  of 
factory  management.  There  are  few  factories  in  which 
the  friction  load  is  less  than  30  to  35  per  cent  of  the  total 
load  on  the  power  plant,  and  while  thousands  of  dollars 
are  spent  to  save  5  to  10  per  cent  in  the  power  plant,  fre- 
quently twice  as  much  is  lost  by  the  improper  trans- 
mission of  power  through  shafting  and  belts,  this  loss 
being  due  almost  entirely  to  neglect. " 

What  Gas  Power  Costs  in  a  Textile  Plant 

THAT  the  small  producer  gas  engine  can  be  used 
effectively  to  reduce  the  fuel  bill  in  the  moderate 
sized  factory  is  well  illustrated  by  the  power  plant  in 


80      EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 


POWER  REQUIRED  TO  DRIVE  MACHINE  TOOLS 
ELECTRICALLY 

MACHINES 

CUTTING 
SPEED 

TYPE 
OF  MOTOR 

HORSEPOWER 

REQUIRED 

REMARKS 

LATHES          J20  FT.  PER  MIN. 

SHUNT  WOUND 
VAR.SPEED 

HP«  O.15S 
-     1HP 

S  «    SWING 
OF  LATHES 
IN  INCHES 

BORING 
MILLS 

2O  FT.  PER  MIN. 

DITTO 

HP  =»0.25S 
-   4HP 

DITTO 

MILLING 
MAC  HIMES 

20  FT.  PER  MIN. 

DITTO 

HP    -    O.3W 

W-DISTANCE 
BETWEEN 
HOUSINGS 
IN  INCHES 

LIGHT  DRILL 
PRESSES 

20  FT.  PER  MIN. 

DITTO 

HP    ~  0.06S 

S  "  SIZE 
OF  DRILL 
IN  INCHES 

HEAVY  DR.LL      2orT    PERM|N 
PRESSES 

DITTO 

HP    «=  0.1  S 

DITTO 

U  10'    STROKE 
t   18- 

5  30" 

15  TO  20  FT. 
PER  MIN. 

COMPOUND 
WOUND  VAR. 
SPEED  MOTOR 

fi 

W    16'    STROKE 
*   18* 
«  24- 
3530-               " 

DITTO 

DITTO 

3 

3'.- 
S 
•tt 

PLANCRS 

DITTO 

DITTO 

HP  =  3W 

W  »  WIDTH 
BETWEEN 
HOUSINGS 

HEAVY 
PLANERS 

DITTO 

DITTO 

HP*  4.92W 

IN  FEET 

Form  II:  Short-cut  formulae  for  finding  horsepower  of  motors  to  drive  machine  tools 


POWER  AT  LOWEST  COST  81 

the  government  shop  of  the  Hilker  &  Wiechers  Company. 
Beiore  the  installation  of  the  present  power  this  firm 
operated  their  factory  satisfactorily  with  a  kerosene  en- 
gine. The  need  for  increased  power,  however,  led  them 
to  install  a  fifty  horse-power  producer  gas  engine.  Con- 
versation with  the  company's  secretary  and  with  the  en- 
gineer, brought  out  several  interesting  operating  fea- 
tures. 

The  engineer  in  the  factory  not  only  looked  after  the 
duties  commonly  included  in  such  a  job,  but  acted  as 
handy  man  about  the  shop,  also.  A  visitor  at  the  plant 
found  him  busy  repairing  a  sewing  machine  on 
the  second  floor,  about  as  far  from  the  engine  room  as 
he  could  get.  The  visitor  mentioned  this  apparent 
neglect  of  duty  and  learned  that  the  engine  required  his 
attention  only  a  small  part  of  each  day.  In  fact,  about 
the  only  time  the  machine  required  any  attention  was  in 
the  morning  and  at  night — about  two  hours  total,  for 
labor  charges. 

The  secretary  was  enthusiastic  on  the  subject  of  gas 
engines  and  rather  naively  stated  the  advantage  of 
what  the  automobilist  considers  the  chief  drawback  of 
this  type  of  prime  mover. 

"If  anything  goes  wrong  with  the  gas  engine,"  said 
he,  "it  stops.  There 's  no  danger  of  a  cylinder  head 
blowing  out  if  the  engineer  happens  to  be  in  another  part 
of  the  factory.  If  the  machines  stop,  he  goes  to  the  en- 
gine room  to  see  what's  the  matter." 

Some  details  as  to  the  fuel  consumption  of  this  en- 
gine are  interesting.  Pea-coal  costing  from  $4.35  to 
$4.60  per  ton  at  the  factory,  is  burned  in  the  producer. 
When  the  shop  is  running  full,  from  45  to  50  horse- 
power drives  the  sewing  machines.  In  addition  to  the 
sewing  machine  and  line  shaft,  there  is  added  to  the 


82      EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 

load  during  winter  twilights  about  100  sixteen  candle- 
power  electric  lamps,  so  that  for  perhaps  an  hour  to- 
ward night  during  the  period  of  short  daylight  a  total 
of  about  60  horsepower  is  used.  However,  the  en- 
gine seemed  to  adjust  itself  very  nicely  to  this  load 
when  the  entire  battery  of  lights  was  suddenly  thrown 
on. 

Under  these  conditions  the  gas  producer  calls  for  be- 
tween 500  and  550  pounds  of  coal  per  day.  For  fuel, 
water,  oil  and  attendance,  the  total  cost  for  power  at 
this  plant,  therefore,  averages  from  $1.25  to  $1.50  per 
working  day. 

As  for  depreciation,  the  enthusiastic  engineer  boasted 
that  the  only  item  of  repairs  in  a  year's  run  had  been 
due  to  a  blow-hole  in  one  of  the  cylinder  heads,  which 
he  had  drilled,  tapped  and  plugged  with  a  machine 
screw. 

Rope  Drives  for  Quick  Turns 

QUARTER  turn  drives,  difficult  to  make  with  belts, 
can  be  accomplished  with  ropes  in  both  the  con- 
tinuous and  multiple  drive  systems.  In  both  systems  the 
grooves  should  be  separated  on  the  face  of  the  sheaves 
a  distance  slightly  greater  than  the  diameter  of  the  rope 
used.  In  the  nail  mill  of  the  American  Steel  and  Wire 
Company  at  Newcastle,  Pennsylvania,  there  is  a  cross 
drive  of  the  multiple  system.  The  sheaves  of  the  drive 
are  eight  feet  in  diameter  and  the  shafts  fifty-five  feet 
from  center  to  center.  The  ropes  are  wire  strand  one 
and  a  half  inches  in  diameter.  A  quarter  turn  drive  is 
shown  in  the  illustration.  In  this  way  a  shaft  on  the 
second  floor  of  a  mill  can  be  driven  at  right  angles  to  the 
shafts  above  and  below.  Owing  to  the  flexibility  of  the 
rope  considerable  variation  from  exact  alignment  is  pos- 


POWER  AT  LOWEST  COST 


Quarter  Turn  Rope  Drive 

The  flexibility  of  the  rope  drive  is 
well  shown  in  this  illustration. 
Shafting  on  one  floor  of  a  mill  is 
driven  at  right  angles  to  that  in 
the  next  story  by  locating  an  idler 
sheave  as  indicated.  Properly  in- 
stalled, the  wear  on  the  ropes  is  slight. 


sible  although  for  the  best  operation,  good  mechanical 
construction  is  an  essential  as  for  belts  and  pulleys. 

The  possibilities  of  a  quarter  turn  rope  drive  are  well 
illustrated  in  the  case  of  a  woolen  mill  in  Massachusetts. 
A  horizontal  shaft  electric  generator  had  to  be  driven 
by  a  vertical  shaft  water  wheel.  The  distance  between 
centers  was  sixteen  feet.  In  this  short  space,  the  drive 
transmits  200  horsepower.  The  generator  runs  at  579 


84      EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 

R.  P.  M. ;  the  wheel  at  205  R.  P.  M.  To  get  the  necessary 
speed  relations,  the  smallest  sheave  had  to  be  made  34 
inches  in  diameter  in  violation  of  the  rope  drive  rule  that 
the  smallest  sheave  must  be  forty  times  the  diameter  of 
the  rope.  Ten  one  and  one-eighth  inch  ropes  are  used. 

A  Plan  for  Keeping  Shafting  Clean 

ONE  of  the  niceties  of  shop  equipment  is  a  shining 
main-shaft.      Sometimes    a    long-handled    brush 
fitted  to  half  cover  the  shaft,  wielded  by  the  oiler,  is  used 
to  keep  up  this  part  of  the  equipment.  A  little  scheme  for 
accomplishing  this  result  automatically  is  used  in  one 
plant.     Wooden  rings,  slipped  over  the  shaft,  travel  up 
and  down  the  lengths  between  pulleys  and  hangers,  keep- 
ing the  steel  surface  always  bright  and  shining. 
• 
A  Time  Saving  Motor  Record 

WHILE  the  electric  motor  is  ordinarily  counted 
fool-proof,  so  far  as  a  machine  can  be,  yet  it  is 
for  that  very  reason  often  badly  neglected.  This  is  not 
good  practice,  for,  if  the  best  results  are  to  be  attained, 
each  motor  should  be  tested  and  inspected  at  regular  in- 
tervals. It  is  not  necessary  to  keep  as  careful  watch  of 
an  induction  motor,  as  is  exercised  over  a  delicate  auto- 
matic machine,  but  the  value  of  frequent  and  regular  in- 
spection is  often  overlooked.  As  essential  as  inspection 
is  the  filed  record  which  shows  where  each  motor  is  and 
what  it  does. 

Such  a  record,  with  the  facts  about  each  motor  in  the 
plant  compactly  kept  on  a  card,  is  shown  in  Form 
III.  This  method  of  putting  on  record  the  facts  con- 
cerning each  motor  drive  in  the  plant  is  used  by  the 
Edison  Portland  Cement  Company  and  has  proved  of 
real  value  in  caring  for  the  working  equipment. 


POWER  AT  LOWEST   COST 


85 


H.  P.  MOTOR 

MACH1T 
MOTOR 

MANUFACT 

iorD 

MOTOR                  SHAFT  STA 
MOTOR                 PUT  INTO  O 

MPtwr.            x  ,        ,                         ,    ,                   ,     -  -     ,, 

PE  RATION         ,                  ,,                                  v  ..  tpn  ,            ,  

TEST 

OATE 

CONDITION  Of 
OPERATION 

VOtTAGE 

SPEED 

HORSE  POWER 

MAX,        NUN.        STARTING         NORMAU 

— 

REV 

aftK<_     .':          •  -.•/;'•  ..,•••:  •'       .  .••-  .    •;>..         .      •:    ^,  .:^'  ;,;.-;...  ,--,.:..  y  •:-;-•';; 

Form  III:  A  simple  card  record  that  fixes  the  facts  of  each  installation  in  compact  form 

The  card  is  self-explanatory,  but  a  few  words  as  to  the 
way  in  which  it  is  used  will  prove  helpful.  The  cards 
are  filed  in  the  office  of  the  electrical  superintendent  and 
are  arranged  numerically  according  to  the  horsepower  of 
the  individual  motors.  In  some  industries  it  would  be 
better  to  file  the  records  according  to  the  buildings  or  to 
machines  they  drive.  In  plants  where  there  are  many 
buildings  both  of  these  methods  are  recommended.  Each 
motor  has  a  card.  These  are  first  grouped  according  to 
the  location  of  the  motor  and  subdivided  according  to 
the  machines  they  drive. 

Records  of  this  kind  are  particularly  valuable  when 
additions  or  alterations  are  to  be  made  in  a  factory. 
With  exact  information  as  to  the  motors  already  in- 
stalled, their  location  and  the  machines  they  drive,  the 
engineer  can  figure  at  once  the  amount  of  new  equip- 
ment necessary.  Often,  it  is  possible  to  utilize  an  old 


86      EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 

motor  for  new  work,  or  machines  can  be  rearranged  and 
grouped  to  better  advantage,  and  rigged  with  power- 
saving  individual  drives. 

Department  Power  Records  That  Save  Fuel 

POWER  HOUSE  records  form  one  of  the  simplest 
and  most  effective  ways  of  keeping  tab  on  the  cost  of 
power.  By  systematizing  the  cost  of  power,  the  daily 
records  show  immediately  whether  costs  are  above  nor- 
mal, so  that  leakage,  defects  and  wastes  can  be  probed 
for  at  once. 

The  H.  H.  Franklin  Manufacturing  Company  has 
evolved  a  simple  system  of  keeping  track  of  its  power 
costs  which  has  proved  very  effectual  in  keeping  the 
costs  low.  The  plant  is  operated  by  electric  power,  each 
department  being  sectionalized  and  driven  by  its  own 
motors.  Power  and  lighting  are  measured  and  charged 
to  each  department  in  separate  cost  items.  The  elec- 
trical system  simplifies  this  subdivision  since,  by  elec- 
trical measuring  instruments,  the  power  used — each  of 
the  twelve  power  and  the  twelve  lighting  sections  into 
which  the  factory  is  divided — can  be  accurately  meas- 
ured and  charged  up  to  the  proper  department. 

At  the  switchboard  a  wattmeter  is  devoted  to  each 
department  or  section  in  the  factory,  and  these  meters 
(Plate  V)  show  by  number  and  label  the  respective 
departments  for  which  they  measure  power.  Records  of 
the  actual  power  used  for  lighting  and  for  operating  the 
machines  are  filed  in  a  loose  leaf  ledger,  on  sheets  similar 
to  Form  V.  Separate  books  are  kept  for  the  lighting  and 
power  totals.  With  this  daily  record  of  power  consumed 
the  cost  of  power  per  day  in  each  department  can  be 
accurately  computed,  since  by  simply  multiplying  the 
total  kilowatts  used  per  hour  by  the  costs  per  kilowatt- 


POWER  AT  LOWEST   COST 


87 


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88      EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 

hour  the  total  figure  is  immediately  available  for  pur- 
poses of  comparison. 

This  actual  cost  per  kilowatt-hour  is  made  up  of  coal, 
labor,  supplies  and  depreciation,  the  first  three  of  which 
are  daily  computed  from  the  log  sheet  (Form  IV).  De- 
preciation is  figured  as  a  net  percentage.  A  summary 
of  daily  costs  is  compiled,  which  shows  the  itemized  and 
total  average  cost  of  power  per  kilowatt-hour.  By  com- 
paring the  costs  of  each  day's  power  consumption,  any 
unaccountable  rise  in  cost  per  kilowatt-hour  automati- 
cally calls  attention  to  waste. 

Just  what  results  this  simple  system  has  brought  to 
the  company  can  be  surmised  by  an  analysis  of  the  daily 
power  cost  sheet  for  the  plant. 

Pounds  coal  used 30,400 

Cost  coal  used $41.80 

Labor  cost   15.35 

Supplies  cost 4.00 

Depreciation    8.00 

Kws.  per  day   3,389 

Kws.  per  hour   141.2 

Average  cost,  coal,  labor  supplies  and  depre- 
ciation per  hour $  2.88 

Average  cost  per  kw 0.0204 

Saving  Money  on  Belting 

ECONOMY  in  the  use  of  leather  belting  can  only  be 
attained  by  purchasing  the  best  grades  of  belting, 
made  by  firms  of  established  reputation,  and  then  by  ap- 
plying it  and  caring  for  it  in  an  intelligent  and  proper 
manner.  It  is  an  easy  matter  to  buy  belting  for  10  or  12 
per  cent  less  than  is  usually  paid  for  first  class  goods.  But 
it  will  be  made  from  the  leather  cut  too  far  from  the 
center  of  the  hide  and  consequently  will  have  thin  and 


POWER  AT  LOWEST  COST  89 

soft  spots,  which,  coming  on  the  edge  of  the  belt  will  per- 
mit it  to  stretch  unequally.  If  a  piece  forty  feet  long  is 
laid  on  the  floor  it  will  be  impossible  to  make  it  conform 
to  a  straight  line.  Therefore,  it  will  not  run  true  on  the 
pulleys,  and  if  it  is  used  on  cone  pulleys  the  edges  will 
turn  up  and  the  belt  will  soon  be  useless.  In  situations 
when  a  good  belt  would  run  a  year  and  still  be  in  good 
condition,  this  kind  of  belt  will  not  last  three  months. 
It  is  the  poorest  of  economy  to  save  ten  per  cent  by 
putting  in  belts  below  the  standard  in  quality.  Bank 
discount  is  much  cheaper. 

There  are  various  methods  of  fastening  the  ends  of 
belts.  The  most  common  is  by  lacings.  These  are  often 
carelessly  issued  and  wastefully  used.  They  should  be 
purchased  in  certain  widths  and  lengths  and  issued  for 
lacing  belts  of  certain  widths.  The  following  table  gives 
these  figures : 

Width  of        Length  of  Width  of  Single 

Lacing.  Lacing.  Belt  that  it  will  lace. 

%  inch          18  inches  1      to    1%  inches 

A  inch          24  inches  1%  to    2*4  inches 

A  inch          30  inches  2V2  to    3%  inches 

A  inch          36  inches  3%  to    5      inches 

%  inch          48  inches  5%  to    8      inches 

%  inch          72  inches  9      to  12      inches 

By  purchasing  lacings  of  these  dimensions  and  re- 
quiring them  to  be  used  according  to  this  table,  one  fac- 
tory saved  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  per  cent  in  the 
cost  of  belt  lacings  for  several  years.  Thin  lacings  should 
always  be  used  for  fast  running  belts,  or  wide  double 
ones.  The  laces  should  be  so  applied  that  on  the  side 
next  the  pulley  they  run  parallel  to  the  edge  of  the  belt. 

Three  Schemes  for  Reducing  Friction  Load 

OMPARATIVE  coal  consumption  is  the  ultimate 
test  of  the  economy    of    power    generating    and 
transmitting  machinery.    Belts  and  shafting  have  been 


90      EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 

synonymous  with  power  transmission  for  so  many  years 
that  their  relation  to  the  coal  pile  is  often  overlooked. 
A  glance  at  the  table  shown  on  page  79  emphasizes  the 
importance  of  this  feature  of  power  production.  Fac- 
tory No.  3,  in  which  transmission  losses  were  lowest,  had 
just  been  overhauled.  This  renovation  saved  sixteen 
horsepower. 

Look  over  your  plant  and  see  if  you  are  not  wasting 
power  in  unnecessary  friction.  Fans,  blowers,  air- 
compressors  and  centrifugal  pumps  are  apt  to  be  over- 
powered. Blowers  are  commonly  operated  needlessly 
fast.  In  a  small  machine  shop,  the  engineer  reduced  the 
friction  loss  in  an  air  compressor  by  asking  a  few 
changes  in  the  location  of  piping  and  compressor.  By 
substituting  a  small  portable  electric  desk  fan  for  a 
wooden  blade  fan  that  was  mounted  on  the  end  of  a 
shaft  a  further  reduction  in  friction  was  made.  The 
combined  change  effected  a  reduction  of  15  per  cent  in 
the  amount  of  power  required  and  consequently  in  out- 
lay for  power. 

How  Shafting  Hangers  Can  be  Quickly  Shifted 

THE  re-location  of  machinery  is  often  handicapped 
by  the  inflexible  arrangement  of  shafting.    It  takes 
time  to  figure  out  arrangements  for  a  change  in  machine 
location,  to  say  nothing  of  the  practical  difficulties  often 
encountered. 

"The  arrangement  of  shafting  at  our  plant  (the  new 
shops  of  the  Utica  Drop  Forge  and  Tool  Company)  is 
unusual,  but  has  proved  very  satisfactory.  Practically 
all  the  light  comes  from  north-facing  saw-tooth  roofs, 
and  the  layout  of  shafting  is  therefore  modified  by 
this  type  of  construction,"  said  the  superintendent  of  the 
works. ' '  Onr  entire  plant  is  driven  by  electricity ;  275  horse- 


POWER  AT  LOWEST   COST  91 


Plate  X  (below)  and  XI  (above):  Two  devices  which  help  reduce  the  accident  risk. 

A  belt  shield  at  the  Sherwin-Williams  Company's  plant,  and  (below)  a  planer 

guard  at  the  General  Electric  Company's  works  (See  chapter  XI) 


92      EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 


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POWER  AT  LOWEST   COST  93 

power  is  purchased  from  the  local  company  and  trans 
mitted  from  Trenton  Falls  eighteen  miles  away.  The 
machinery  in  each  department  runs  on  a  separate  motor. 
"All  the  main  shafting  is  on  the  floor  where  it  can  be 
easily  reached  and  does  not  interfere  with  the  light. 
Each  length  of  shafting  is  driven  through  a  crab-clutch 
so  that  each  may  be  driven  independent  of  the  others, 
except  the  center  length  to  which  the  motor  is  con- 
nected. This  construction  makes  it  easy  to  oil  the  shaft- 
ing, and  since  wire  guards  six  feet  high  enclose  the 
shafting,  no  one  but  authorized  employees  can  get 
near  it.  All  of  our  counter  shafts  are  mounted  on  iron 
frames,  built  up  from  two-inch  wrought  iron  pipe.  These 
counter  shafts  are  driven  where  possible  from  the  line 
shaft  on  the  floor.  Where  it  is  necessary  to  have  extra 
driving  shafts  they  also  are  mounted  on  an  iron  frame 
work."  (See  Plate  VI.) 

A  Meter  Record  That  Stopped  a  Leak 

ELECTRIC  meters  offer  possibilities  for  power 
measurements  which  are  not  altogether  realized. 
The  amount  of  power  actually  consumed  in  a  factory  is 
difficult  to  measure  when  the  electric  link  between  coal 
and  machine  is  absent,  and  even  in  plants  equipped 
with  electric  motors  the  wattmeter  often  will  check  losses 
which  otherwise  escape  notice. 

This  point  was  rather  interestingly  shown  in  an  iso- 
lated station  recently.  A  new  gas  engine,  operating  on 
natural  gas,  had  been  set  up  and  was  carrying  a  light- 
ing and  small  power  load.  When  the  equipment  had 
been  installed  the  switchboard  was  fitted  simply  with 
an  ammeter  and  voltmeter,  so  that  it  was  not  easy  to  get 
continuous  power  readings.  The  incoming  supply  of 
fuel  was  measured  by  a  gas  meter. 


94      EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PEODUCT 

After  two  or  three  weeks  the  engine  had  apparently 
"found  itself "  and  was  running  well.  The  engineer  of 
the  installation,  however,  wished  to  get  comparative 
data,  so  put  in  a  wattmeter  on  the  electric  supply  cir- 
cuits. 

When  he  compared  the  readings  of  gas  meter  and  watt- 
meter, he  found  that  about  three  times  more  fuel  was 
being  used  than  was  consumed  as  power.  A  little  in- 
vestigation showed  that  the  operating  engineer,  instead 
of  using  as  little  gas  in  his  mixture  as  would  give  the 
best  results,  was  running  his  engine  with  a  charge  con- 
taining a  maximum  amount  of  gas.  With  a  re-adjust- 
ment of  the  intake  valves,  what  might  have  been  the 
annual  fuel  bill  was  reduced  about  two-thirds. 

Keeping  Up  Steam  Pressure 

STEAM  HEATING  caused  considerable  trouble  in  a 
brush  shop  employing  about  300  hands.  During 
cold  weather  the  foreman  of  a  department  was  continu- 
ally complaining  about  the  heat  in  his  room.  But  the 
engineer  always  clung  to  his  statement  that  the  steam 
was  turned  on. 

The  superintendent  installed  a  graphic  recording 
steam  gauge  of  the  ordinary  type  and  quietly  con- 
nected it  with  the  steam  main  in  the  troublesome  shop. 
The  instrument  kept  tab  on  just  when  the  steam  was 
turned  on  and  what  pressure  was  recorded.  The  super- 
intendent had  a  reliable  record  and  the  kicks  w<»re 
stopped. 

Holding  an  Engine  at  Work 

'TH  HE  electrical  engineer  in  a  small  machine  shop  and 
«••      foundry  had  a  similar  experience.  Alternating  cur- 
rent electricity  was  used  for  power.    When  the  foundry 


POWER  AT  LOWEST  COST  95 

blower  motor  was  switched  on  the  line  in  the  late  after 
noon,  the  engineer  in  the  power  house  often  let  the  speed 
of  the  engines  drop  as  the  load  came  on.  As  a  conse 
quence  the  electric  lights  grew  dim  for  a  time  before  the 
steam  came  up  in  the  boiler.  Yet  the  powerhouse  at- 
tendant was  sure  the  engine  held  speed. 

The  engineer  installed  in  his  office  a  frequency  meter. 
This  registers  the  frequency  of  the  alternating  current 
which  is  of  course  dependent  on  the  speed  of  the  ma- 
chines. Consequently  when  the  speed  falls  off  the  fre- 
quency meter  in  the  engineer's  office  tells  the  story. 

It  took  some  time  for  the  power  house  attendant  to 
understand  just  why  the  engineer  telephoned  so 
promptly  when  the  speed  fell  off,  but  once  he  realized 
the  cause,  the  trouble  ceased.  Steam  is  now  ready  for 
the  load  when  it  comes  on  and  the  meter  remains  as  a 
moral  restraint  only. 


Business  Strategy 

TN  the  days  of  small  businesses  and 
•••  unsystematic  methods,  the  manufac- 
turer each  morning  planned  his  day's 
work.  Tomorrow  had  to  take  care  of 
itself — until  tomorrow  came.  Nowa- 
days, the  successful  manufacturer  must 
know  and  plan  his  campaign  a  year 
ahead.  Working  space,  equipment, 
labor  supply,  material,  selling  plan — 
all  must  be  laid  out  months  in  advance, 
if  he  is  to  face  competition. 

Robert  Daily 


CHAPTER  IX 
Keeping  the  Product  Moving 

TWO  men  and  ten  minutes  for  a  job  that  took  eight 
men  four  hours — that  visualizes  the  vital  elements 
which  make  the  crane  essential  in  modern  manufactur- 
ing. In  a  locomotive  plant  it  used  to  take  eight  men  four 
hours  (at  a  cost  of  $5.14)  to  lift  off  the  drives  with 
jack  screws  a  ten  wheel  locomotive  weighing  132,000 
pounds.  Four  men  with  pneumatic  jacks  can  do  the 
job  in  one  hour.  An  electric  traveling  crane  takes  ten 
minutes,  and,  moreover,  does  the  work  without  any  con- 
fusion or  discomfort  to  the  workmen.  Plate  VII  illus- 
trates how  easily,  by  this  means,  the  largest  engine  can  be 
lifted  and  deposited  wherever  the  job  requires. 

With  simple  auxiliary  apparatus  the  cranes  can  also 
do  many  unusual  tasks.  At  the  foundry  of  the  West- 
ern Electric  Company  the  big  electric  traveling  crane 
saves  the  labor  of  several  men  in  handling  scrap.  A  box 
with  suitable  hooks  on  the  sides  is  placed  near  the 
snagging  department  and  into  this  the  workmen  throw 
all  scrapped  castings,  sprues  and  pins.  When  full,  the 
box  is  picked  up  bodily  by  the  traveling  crane  and 
dumped  on  a  platform  near  the  doors  of  cupolas  on  the 
charging  floor.  A  corner  of  the  floor  juts  out  over  the 
main  foundry  to  receive  the  scrap,  which  is  then  loaded 

06 


KEEPING  THE  PRODUCT  MOVING          97 

'ito  narrow-gauge  cars,  weighed,  and  thrown  into  the 
furnaces.  The  entire  operation  is  a  lesson  in  modern 
industrial  methods. 

Conveying  Goods  Cheaply  by  Air 

UNUSUAL  methods  are  occasionally  adopted  for  in- 
ter-factory transportation.  A  Detroit  paper  box 
concern  uses  an  exhaust  fan  for  carrying  its  product 
from  one  department  to  the  next  through  sheet  iron 
ducts. 

In  the  packing  room  are  long  rows  of  tables  at  which 
stand  the  packers.  Before  each  employee,  a  spout  leads 
down  from  the  main  duct  to  the  packing  table.  There  is 
a  damper  at  each  spout  controlled  by  the  operator  in 
the  store  room. 

When  the  stock  gets  low  on  the  packing  table,  the 
packer  signals  to  the  store  room,  the  operator  opens  the 
damper  and  more  boxes  flow  to  the  table.  Enough  can 
be  fed  in  a  few  minutes  to  last  an  hour  or  more. 

This  method  of  transferring  boxes  saves  the  usual  ex- 
pensive trucking  and  does  the  work  swiftly,  nor  are  the 
goods  injured  by  this  method  of  handling. 

Handling  Coal  Economically  in  Power  Plants 

A  PORTABLE  electric  hoist  of  moderate  capacity  has 
±\  many  uses  about  the  factory.  The  problem  of 
conveying  coal  to  the  boiler  room  or  handling  the  ashes 
expeditiously  is  one  which  in  many  cases  is  quite  an  item 
of  expense.  With  an  electric  hoist  the  entire  equipment 
is  controlled  by  an  unskilled  operator,  who  rides  in  the 
cage  and  is  in  a  position  to  dump  and  handle  the  bucket 
from  that  point.  An  operator  with  an  equipment  of 
this  class  will  handle  a  large  tonnage  at  little  expense 
for  power.  The  coal  may  be  handled  by  means  of  a 


98      EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 

grab  bucket,  unloading  direct  from  the  car  and  delivering 
to  the  boiler  room. 

Such  small  hoists  can  also  be  used  in  conjunction  with 
cranes  of  various  types  about  a  plant  for  handling  parts 
of  machines  expeditiously.  Hoists  of  this  character  can 
be  purchased  which  are  capable  of  handling  from  one 
to  fifteen  tons. 

The  cost  of  an  equipment  is  moderate  and  the  oper- 
ating cost  is  very  low.  The  Yale  and  Towne  Manufac- 
turing Company  state  that  one  of  their  purchasers  buy- 
ing electric  energy  at  ten  cents  per  kilowatt  hour,  oper- 
ates a  small  hoist  at  a  cost  of  $0.000303  per  foot-ton. 

Novel  Method  of  Transporting  Grain 

A  MERICAN  manufacturers  receive  few  problems 
•±V  they  cannot  solve.  There  was  installed  in  a  flour  mill 
of  the  Hong  Kong  Milling  Company  in  China  a  system 
for  handling  bran  shorts  which  aroused  the  enthusiasm 
of  the  Chinese.  By  means  of  a  specially  constructed 
fan,  the  bran  is  blown  three-fifths  of  a  mile  from  the 
fan,  in  a  sixteen-inch,  heavily  galvanized  iron  pipe.  Three 
and  one-half  tons  of  bran  can  be  conveyed  by  this  means 
in  one  hour.  The  conducting  pipe  slopes  upward  to  a 
height  of  150  feet  at  a  point  1600  feet  from  the  fan,  and 
then  declines  to  the  point  of  discharge. 

Two  fans  each  driven  by  a  direct  connected  electric 
motor  are  installed  to  insure  continuity  of  service  in 
case  of  accident  to  one  fan.  On  account  of  the  distance 
of  the  shipment  and  the  lack  of  skilled  labor  in  China, 
the  piping  was  made  up  and  shipped  in  lengths  of  six- 
teen feet.  At  one  end  of  each  section  a  hand  hole  was 
cut  so  the  sections  could  be  riveted  and  soldered  tight. 

Any  doubt  as  to  the  success  of  this  scheme  was 
very  quickly  dispelled  when  the  fan  started.  One  of 


KEEPING  THE  PRODUCT  MOVING          99 

the  milling  company's  employees  in  the  receiving  ware- 
house  almost  smothered  before  he  was  rescued. 

Making  One  Hoist  Serve  for  Three 

SMALL  cranes  and  hoists  for  handling  materials  in 
foundries  and  machine  shops  are  particularly  ad- 
vantageous. A  scheme  for  saving  equipment  and  at 
the  same  time  providing  facilities  for  handling  mate- 
rials over  a  wide  range  of  floor  space  forms  a  part  of 
the  foundry  equipment  of  the  Schenectady  plant  of  the 
General  Electric  Company.  (See  Plate  IX.) 

Jib-cranes  are  hung  from  two  or  three  upright  col- 
umns by  pin  hinges.  These  are  operated  by  compressed 
air  and  are  provided  with  flexible  connections  to  serve 
the  floor  space  under  the  radius  of  the  swinging  jib. 
When  the  job  in  one  part  of  the  foundry  is  complete 
the  electric  traveling  cranes  which  serve  the  main  floor 
pick  up  the  jib  bodily  and  hang  it  in  a  new  posi- 
tion, where  connections  are  provided  for  the  compressed 
air  supply  for  operating  the  hoist.  Heavy  floor  work 
can  be  performed  expeditiously  in  several  parts  of  the 
foundry  in  this  way  without  furnishing  an  individual 
equipment  other  than  the  hinges  and  air  cocks. 

Saving  Time  by  Department  Telephones 

A  TELEPHONE  system  expedites  materially  the 
Ji\ handling  of  work  in  the  factory.  Systems  can  be 
installed  either  in  conjunction  with  the  main  telephone 
center  or  independently.  The  superintendent  of  a  mod- 
erate sized  cutlery  plant  has  found  this  system  very 
satisfactory.  He  uses  a  dial  type  instrument  by  which 
he  can  call  from  his  office  any  foreman  in  the  plant.  In 
the  forge  departments  a  large  auxiliary  gong  sounds  to 
call  the  foreman  to  the  telephone. 


100    EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 

When  such  a  system  is  installed  in  the  plant,  put  it 
in  well.  A  cheap  installation  will  cause  endless  trouble 
and  get  out  of  order  easily.  Wiring  particularly  should 
be  done  with  care.  Cables  should  be  used  as  far  as 
possible  and  the  independent  wires  kept  away  from  shaft- 
ing and  hot  steam  pipes. 

Telephone  conferences  of  two  or  three  foremen  and 
the  superintendent  save  a  great  deal  of  time.  With  a 
telephone  in  each  department,  they  are  quickly  and  con- 
veniently arranged. 

Trucks  That  Save  Steps 

KEEP  material  in  process  on  trucks  and  off  the  floor. 
This  will  keep  the  shop  clean  and  the  parts  moy- 
ing.  This  axiom  was  proved  again  at  the  garment  fac- 
tory of  the  Hilker  and  Wiechers  Company  at  Racine, 
Wisconsin.  Garments  when  finished,  before  being  sent 
to  the  storeroom,  were  piled  on  a  bench  in  the  sewing 
room.  In  taking  them  to  the  storeroom  the  boy  brought 
an  empty  truck  up  the  elevator,  loaded  the  garments 
from  the  bench  and  unloaded  them  again  on  the  stock 
room  shelves. 

Trucks  suitable  for  carrying  the  garments  were  built. 
Empties  stand  always  ready  for  the  garments  as  they  are 
finished  and  as  fast  as  a  truck  is  filled,  all  the  boy  has 
to  do  is  to  keep  the  trucks  moving,  exchanging  empties 
for  the  loaded  conveyors. 

In  the  stock  room  to  facilitate  handling  the  goods,  the 
stepladder  is  placed  on  wheels.  The  man  on  the  ladder 
can  thus  move  it  down  the  length  of  the  aisle  between 
the  rows  of  shelves  without  dismounting  every  time  to 
change  his  position.  The  step  ladder  on  wheels  takes 
the  place  of  the  more  expensive  trolley  ladder  frequently 
seen  in  shoe  stores. 


KEEPING  THE  PRODUCT  MOVING        101 

In  another  factory  the  office  vault  was  distant  from 
the  factory  office  and  duplicate  records  were  kept,  so 
that  one  set  would  be  safe  in  the  vault  and  the  other 
convenient  to  the  filing  clerks.  By  mounting  the  filing 
cases  on  a  truck  and  pushing  it  to  the  vault  each  night, 
a  lot  of  useless  record  keeping  was  eliminated  and  both 
convenience  and  safety  assured. 

Getting  Parts  to  Workmen  Quickly 

TIN  cans,  nowadays,  are  made  entirely  by  automatic 
machinery.    As  far  as  possible  the  process  of  manu- 
facture is  continuous,  the  product  traveling  in  its  course 
from  sheet  iron  to  the  labeled  can  in  as  straight  a  line 
as  possible. 

A  can  factory  in  Brooklyn  recently  solved  one  of  its 
problems  in  a  unique  manner.  The  building  was  six  stories 
high,  and  various  operations  were  performed  on  each 
floor.  When  the  finished  cans  left  the  machines,  they 
were  dipped  in  an  acid  bath  to  remove  the  dirt.  Then 
it  was  necessary  to  dry  the  cans  quickly  after  they  had 
been  dipped  before  labeling  them.  The  dipping  was 
done  on  the  lowest  floor  and  the  labeling  on  the  top 
floor,  an  elevator  being  used  to  transfer  the  cans  from 
one  floor  to  the  other.  The  elevator  shaft  was  enclosed 
and  a  blower  and  heater  fixed  at  the  bottom  of  the  shaft. 
As  the  cans  were  carried  slowly  upward,  they  were 
heated  and  the  current  of  hot  air  about  them  vaporized 
the  moisture,  and  carried  it  away.  By  the  time  they 
reached  the  top  floor  they  were  dry  ready  for  labeling. 

Narrow  Gauge  Tracks  for  Quick  Service 

NARROW  gau<?e  tracks  either  with  or  without  power 
locomotives  for  hauling  trucks  are  great  time  and 
labor  savers  in  the  plant.    Not  only  is  such  a  system  useful 


102    EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 

as  a  method  of  transportation,  but  it  also,  if  properly 
installed,  ties  each  department  with  the  next  and  pro- 
vides a  more  or  less  flexible  routine  for  handling  goods. 

Typical  of  this  latter  feature  is  the  layout  for  the 
plant  of  the  Utica  Drop  Forge  and  Tool  Company  (see 
Plate  VI).  The  shop  is  so  divided  that  work  progresses 
from  the  rear  or  south  end  to  the  front  or  north  end  of 
the  plant.  The  various  departments  are  each  served  by 
the  narrow  gauge  track.  In  but  one  point  does  the  work 
retrace  a  path  with  this  system.  A  loop  is  made  from  the 
inspection  department  to  the  grinding  and  polishing  de- 
partments and  back  again  as  the  work  is  inspected  be- 
tween operations. 

The  transportation  system  is  in  charge  of  truckers 
wholly  responsible  for  it,  so  that  the  time  of  the  men 
is  not  taken  in  handling  work  between  departments. 
Regular  schedules  are  made  by  the  electric  storage  bat- 
tery locomotive  and  cars,  so  that  work  is  not  held  up  in 
any  department. 

Truck  for  Handling  Varnished  Parts 

THE  storage  of  newly  varnished  pieces  is  an  import- 
ant problem  in  the  factory,  and  from  the  nature  of 
the  parts  they  must  be  handled  carefully  and  as  little 
as  possible.  At  the  plant  of  the  Gunn  Furniture  Com- 
pany, the  superintendent  has  devised  several  trucks 
which  meet  very  neatly  the  conditions  of  the  varnishing 
room.  These  trucks  are  made  up  of  the  ordinary  four- 
wheeled  factory  type,  with  uprights  placed  at  distances 
suited  to  different  sized  varnished  parts. 

The  unique  thing  about  the  truck  is  the  support  used 
for  the  varnished  parts.  Screwed  to  the  uprights  are 
ordinary  hinges,  the  free  half  of  which  projects  to  form 
a  ledge  on  which  the  varnished  surfaces  rest 


KEEPING  THE  PRODUCT  MOVING        103 

This  hinge  has  several  advantages.  In  the  first  place, 
the  narrow  edge  of  the  hinge  affords  a  clean  support 
for  the  varnished  surface.  A  second  advantage  lies  in 
the  ability  of  the  trucker  to  stack  the  varnished  parts 
closely  and  easily.  The  hinges  can  be  opened  out  so  that 
the  pieces  will  not  be  sacrificed  in  piling  them  up,  and  as 
fast  as  one  piece  is  laid  on  the  truck  the  hinges  for  sup- 
porting the  next  piece  can  be  swung  in  to  hold  it  without 
disturbing  the  freshly  varnished  surface  below.  Piled 
closely  in  trucks  in  this  way  the  varnished  parts  can 
be  moved  readily  to  the  section  of  the  room  devoted  to 
drying  out  pieces.  Each  truck  of  parts  is  marked  with 
the  date  on  which  it  will  be  dry  enough  to  receive  the 
next  coat,  so  that  it  is  necessary  to  handle  pieces  only 
once  after  they  have  been  freshly  varnished. 


Get  the  Product 

A  CCOUNTING  has  been  classed 
**•  as  "unproductive  labor!"  Why, 
it  is  the  most  productive  labor  in  the 
whole  establishment;  its  finished  pro- 
duct is  not  expressed  in  thumb-rule 
guesses  but  in  cost  knowledge  born  of 
facts.  In  some  lines  it  has  done  as 
much  to  reduce  cost  of  production  dur- 
ing the  past  five  years  as  have  the 
mechanical  inventions  during  the  same 
period.  James  Logan 


CHAPTER  X 

Making  Environment  Count  on  the 
Balance  Sheet 

WHEN  heating  is  done  by  live  steam  a  good  deal 
of  coal  is  wasted  during  the  transitory  months  of 
the  year,  when  warm  and  cold  weather  alternate.  When 
a  hot  day  comes  suddenly,  all  the  windows  are  opened 
and  the  boiler  in  the  power  house  helps  heat  outdoors. 
A  scheme  has  been  put  into  effect  at  the  new  plants  of 
the  Grand  Rapids  Hand  Screw  Company,  where,  as 
shown  in  Figure  I,  each  bank  of  pipes  is  divided  into 
two  independent  sections,  one  of  four,  the  other  of  five 
steam  pipes. 

When  the  weather  is  very  cold,  both  sets  of  pipes  can 
be  operated.  In  milder  temperatures  steam  can  be  turned 
into  four  or  five  pipes.  These  different  degrees  of  heat 
can  therefore  be  obtained  by  the  addition  of  two  valves 
and  a  little  extra  piping.  The  first  cost  is  insignificant 
compared  with  the  saving  in  changeable  weather. 

Saving  Light  Cost  in  a  Textile  Plant 

BOTH  individual  and  group  electric  lighting  have  re- 
spective advantages    in    the    factory.     For    large 
areas,  foundries,  machine  shops,  textile  mills  and  other 
establishments  where  there  is  plenty  of  over-head  room, 


MAKING   ENVIRONMENT    COUNT 


105 


Figure  I:  An  extra  valve  and  two  elbows  permit  economical  steam  heating  combinations 

electric  arc  lights  with  suitable  diffusing  shades  are  the 
most  economical  means  of  artificial  lighting. 

In  textile  mills  this  method  of  lighting  is  almost  essen- 
tial since  color  values  are  distinguishable  most  exactly 
by  the  arc  light.  Its  spectrum  is  nearest  that  of  the 
sun.  To  balance  the  light  from  the  arc  which  has  a  ten- 
dency to  travel  around  the  edge  of  the  carbons,  a  re- 
flector is  essential  to  distribute  the  light.  Such  an  in- 
stallation has  been  found  satisfactory  in  the  Olympia 
Cotton  Mills  in  South  Carolina. 

For  machine  shops  the  same  reflectors  are  desirable 
and  good  results  have  been  obtained  by  this  method  of 
illumination.  It  is  often  necessary  to  provide  auxiliary 
individual  lights,  for  close  machine  work,  however. 

An  Effective  Individual  Light 

INDIVIDUAL  electric  lighting  too  often  means  a  mass 
of  overhead  conducting  cords  and  lamps  which  are  in 
the  way  and  interfere  as  well  with  the  natural  illumi- 


106    EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 

nation.  In  a  garment  factory  it  is  necessary,  however, 
t^  light  each  sewing  machine  individually,  as  the  work 
is  necessarily  close. 

At  the  plant  of  Hilker  and  Wiechers  Company,  indi- 
vidual lighting  has  been  installed  without  interfering 
with  the  natural  illumination  and  without  making  use 
of  unsightly  drop-cords  and  shades.  Double  rows  of 
machines  run  the  length  of  the  building,  and  the  sup- 
ply circuits  for  the  lighting  are  strung  on  the  under  side 
of  the  machine  benches.  Midway  between  each  two 
machines  on  opposite  sides  of  the  bench  is  a  simple  fix- 
ture built  of  quarter-inch  gas  piping.  The  vertical  sup- 
port is  about  twenty  inches  high  and  is  topped  by  an 
elbow  with  a  nipple,  on  which  an  ordinary  keyed  electric 
socket  is  screwed.  A  hemispherical  reflector  half  en- 
circling the  bulb  completes  the  simple  device.  The  fix- 
ture is  neat,  inexpensive  and  effective. 

How  an  Incandescent  Lamp  Increased  Efficiency 

GOOD  light  to  work  by  is  an  investment  too  infre 
quently  made  in  the  factory.  In  comparison  witl 
the  cost  of  labor,  the  cost  of  artificial  light  is  trifling,  but 
there  are  thousands  of  skilled  mechanics  who  lose  effi- 
ciency because  of  insufficient  light. 

A  good  electric  system  is  undoubtedly  the  best  and 
most  flexible  method  of  lighting.  But,  like  other  equip- 
ment, it  must  be  intelligently  installed  and  carefully 
maintained  if  the  best  results  are  to  come  from  it. 

For  the  ordinary  factory  the  incandescent  lamp  is  the 
most  widely  used  unit  of  lighting.  But  general  illumi- 
nation is  overdone ;  rather  should  the  object  be  to  install 
a  high-power  light  placed  at  exactly  the  right  position 
to  cast  the  requisite  amount  of  light  directly  upon  the 
machinist's  work. 


MAKING   ENVIRONMENT    COUNT         107 

In  an  eastern  shop  the  combination  of  the  general 
and  individual  lighting  is  ideal.  The  general  lighting 
is  cared  for  by  fifty  candle-power  Nernst  lamps.  The 
individual  machines  have  electric  bulbs.  The  wiring 
is  all  below  the  floor  and  each  lamp  is  held  in  a  universal 
jointed  fixture  which  permits  it  to  be  adjusted  at  any 
angle  over  the  work.  The  lighting  fixture  does  not  take 
up  any  available  space,  because  in  this  shop  the  machines 
are  set  back  to  back,  and  the  fixture  occupies  a  position 
between  them.  In  such  cases,  particular  conditions  must 
govern  the  location  of  fixtures.  (See  Plate  VIII.) 

Such  a  method  of  lighting  as  this,  besides  the  neat  and 
workman-like  appearance  of  the  fixture,  obviates  the  in- 
convenience of  long  pendant  cords  and  "guy  strings/' 
which  the  workman  inevitably  adopts  to  hold  his  light 
in  position.  The  wiring  is  also  thoroughly  protected. 

After  installation,  such  a  system  must  be  thoroughly 
maintained,  and  the  lamps  kept  clean  and  in  good 
condition.  The  result  which  follows  from  such  an  effi- 
cient lighting  system  can  be  figured  out  to  the  cent. 
Experiments  have  shown  that  a  bare  electric  light  bulb 
thirteen  inches  above  the  face-plate  of  a  drill  press  and 
seven  inches  from  the  center  gave  3.7  foot  candles  at 
the  center  of  the  face-plate.  The  dirtiest  lamp  in  the 
shop  was  then  substituted  and  gave  1.55  foot  candles; 
while  a  new,  clean  lamp  in  the  socket  gave  5.7  foot 
candles.  In  other  words,  with  the  same  current,  a  dirty 
lamp  gave  one-fifth  the  light  a  clean  lamp  radiated. 

It  evidently  pays  to  polish  electric  bulbs. 

Lighting  That  Increased  Output 

nn  HE  influence  of  sufficient  and  well  distributed  light 

A   in  bringing  about  greater  productivity  is  beginning 

to  be  more  generally  recognized  among  factory  owners 


108     EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 

and  managers.  Two  important  aids  which  have  recently 
come  into  use  in  this  connection  are  "wire  glass"  and 
mercury  vapor  lamps. 

Wire  glass  is  a  cheap  article,  which  is  just  as  effective 
in  diffusing  light  and  brightening  dark  rooms  as  the  far 
more  expensive  prisms  which  have  been  in  use  for  some 
years.  This  modern  "wire  glass"  is  furnished  in  panes 
of  all  sizes.  A  prominent  automobile  factory  recently 
put  up  an  addition  in  which  the  panes  were  all  of  this 
modern  type  of  wire  glass.  The  results  were  almost  re- 
markable in  diffusing  the  light  in  all  directions,  into  cor- 
ners and  underneath  vehicles  in  course  of  construction. 
The  proprietors  were  so  pleased  that  they  put  in  new 
panes  in  the  office  part  of  their  building,  changing  the 
entire  appearance  of  the  place  and  reducing  their  light 
bill  by  a  large  amount. 

The  other  recent  device  mentioned — namely,  the  mer- 
cury vapor  lamp — also  possesses  the  peculiar  and  very 
desirable  quality  of  diffusing  light  around  corners,  as  it 
were.  This  light  is  best  placed  as  high  as  possible  in  a 
shop,  and  the  change  from  the  brilliant  light  and  dark 
shadows  of  the  carbon  arc  to  the  soft  and  persistently 
diffusing  light  of  the  mercury  vapor,  is  remarkable.  The 
impression  is  most  nearly  that  of  daylight  on  a  very 
slightly  cloudy  day.  (See  Plate  XII.) 

In  office  work  the  light  is  just  as  agreeable,  except 
the  disadvantage  of  all  colors  being  changed,  a  red  look- 
ing purple,  a  brown  looking  green,  a  blue  looking  pink, 
and  so  on.  The  principle  of  the  mercury  vapor  lamp 
is  very  simple.  A  small  amount  of  liquid  mercury  is 
inside  a  vacuum  tube  tilted  so  that  the  mercury  re- 
mains in  one  end  of  the  tube  when  the  light  is  not  on 
When  it  is  decided  to  turn  on  the  light  the  tube  is  drawn 
into  such  a  position  as  will  insure  a  continuous  stream 


MAKING   ENVIRONMENT    COUNT         109 


Plate  XIII:  Glass  and  steel  are  the  principal  building  materials  which  make  up  this 
light,  well  ventilated  foundry  of  the  Michigan  Stove  Company.     The  air 
is  clear  fifteen  minutes  after  a  heal  is  off     (See  chapter  XIIT) 


110     EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 


MAKING   ENVIRONMENT    COUNT         111 

of  mercury,  making  a  liquid  metallic  connection  be- 
tween the  'two  terminals,  and  closing  the  circuit.  The 
electrical  resistance  of  the  mercury  causes  it  to  heat 
and  vaporize,  thus  giving  the  light. 

The  power  consumption  of  this  light  is  remarkably 
low.  It  is  claimed  by  the  manufacturers  that  it  is  bet- 
ter than  daylight  for  the  eyes.  The  writer's  experience 
with  it  is  that  no  harmful  effects  have  been  observed. 
Office  help  are  apt  to  complain  on  account  of  its  color 
effect,  but  shop  workmen,  particularly  where  the  light 
is  at  a  considerable  height  over  their  heads,  express  un 
qualified  praise  for  the  light  and  its  soft  penetrating 
qualities. 

Both  of  the  above  devices  are  likely  to  play  an  im- 
portant part  in  modern  shop  betterment. 

Economical  Low  Pressure  Steam  Heater 

LOW  pressure  steam  is  a  most  excellent  means  of 
heating  the  factory.  It  has  become  particularly  es- 
sential in  the  plant  driven  by  a  gas  engine  or  by  electric 
motors  where  high-pressure  boilers  are  not  necessary, 
or  where,  for  other  reasons,  there  is  no  exhaust  steam 
to  be  had  from  engines. 

A  small  factory  for  the  manufacture  of  hardware 
provides  a  typical  case.  Electric  motors  are  used  to 
operate  the  machinery,  and  the  electric  current  is  gen- 
erated by  water  power  about  eighteen  miles  away.  The 
plant  is  a  one-story  structure  300  feet  long  and  136 
feet  wide,  lighted  by  a  saw-tooth  roof.  The  height  of 
the  shop  from  cement  floor  to  main  beams  under  the 
saw-tooth  roof  is  eighteen  feet. 

Two  100  horsepower  boilers  located  in  the  forge  room 
and  fitted  with  automatic  damper  and  feed  water  reg- 
ulator supply  steam  for  the  heating  system  at  a  pres- 


112    EQUIPPING  FOB  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 

sure  of  about  fifteen  pounds.  Only  one  boiler  is  needed 
to  heat  the  plant,  but  they  are  operated  alternately  so 
as  to  keep  both  in  working  order. 

Steam  is  led  to  the  center  of  the  building  in  an 
eight-inch  pipe,  then  delivered  to  separate  coils.  These 
coils  are  suspended  from  the  main  beams  of  the  roof 
trusses  at  such  a  height  that  their  lowest  point  is  above 
the  water  line  of  the  boilers.  Condensation  thus  returns 
to  the  boilers  by  gravity. 

By  suspending  the  heating  coils  in  this  way,  the  roof 
is  kept  very  warm,  and  troubles  with  snow  and  ice  some- 
times experienced  with  the  saw-tooth  roof  are  avoidec 
The  heat,  rising  before  it  warms  the  lower  part  of  thi 
room,  makes  the  roof  warm.  The  boiler  equipment  en- 
ables a  temperature  of  about  65  degrees  to  be  obtained 
on  the  floor  of  the  shop.  This  makes  the  roof  consider- 
ably warmer,  and  no  difficulty  has  been  experienced  with 
snow  and  ice.  The  gutters  slope  five-sixteenths  of  an 
inch  per  foot,  and  the  water  is  conducted  to  a  surface- 
sewer  built  below  the  frost  line. 

An  Efficient  Dust  Collecting  Hood 

DUST  collecting  systems  are  of  very  general  use  in 
the  factory,  and  form  one  of  the  great  classes  of 
protective  equipment.  Grinding  operations  in  particu- 
lar need  to  be  thoroughly  fitted  with  appliances  of  this 
sort.  Details  of  the  equipment  are  many,  due  to  the 
classes  of  wheels  and  the  work  performed. 

Cutlery  involves  a  great  number  of  grinding  and  pol- 
ishing processes,  and  dust  collecting  equipment  has  to 
meet  peculiar  conditions  due  to  the  high  speed  of  the 
polishing  wheels  and  the  nature  of  the  work.  At  the 
works  of  the  American  Cutlery  Company  in  Chicago, 
the  dust  collecting  system  has  been  very  thoroughly 


MAKING    ENVIRONMENT    COUNT         113 

worked  out.  The  main  exhaust  pipe  runs  on  the  ceil- 
ing of  the  room  below  the  row  of  polishing  wheels.  Risers 
through  the  floor  with  a  special  hood  draw  the  dust  from 
each  wheel. 

This  hood  is  of  unusual  shape,  not  unlike  a  reflector 
for  an  electric  light  bulb,  and  has  been  found  the  most 
satisfactory  form  of  hood,  after  much  experimenting. 
It  leaves  the  wheel  free  and  at  the  same  time  catches 
the  flying  particles  and  sucks  them  into  the  conducting 
pipe.  

The  Ambition  That  Wins 

ALL  the  great  works  of  art,  litera- 
ture and  science  are  great  because 
they  are  part  and  parcel  of  the  being 
who  created  them.  They  are  the  ex- 
pression of  an  ideal,  developed  by  in- 
tense application,  not  for  love  of  gain, 
but  for  the  love  of  achievement  and 
the  desire  to  excel. 

The  man  who  looks  upon  work  mere- 
ly as  an  everlasting  grind,  who  is  al- 
ways looking  for  the  quitting  time,  will 
never  do  really  good  work,  for  his  heart 
is  not  in  it.  Of  this  kind  of  workers 
there  is  an  over-supply  in  the  world, 
and  so  the  price  is  low. 

But  the  man  who  works  because  he 
wants  to  accomplish — to  do  something 
better  than  it  has  ever  been  done  be- 
fore— to  be  a  prize  winner  in  the  race 
for  success;  to  him  the  whole  world  is 
open.  Walter  H.  Cottingham 


CHAPTER  XI 

Protecting  Against  Accident  and  Fire 

OIL  and  inflammable  liquids  are  bad  fire  risks  in  the 
factory.  "The  can  of  gasolene  must  stand  on  the 
fire  escape  over  night  or  the  janitor  loses  his  head,"  said 
a  factory  manager.  Several  plants  have  very  stringent 
rules  for  the  use  of  inflammable  liquids,  but  they  are  not 
enforced.  Better  have  one  rule  and  enforce  it. 

A  small  brick  and  tile  building  at  the  Western  Elec- 
tric plant  houses  all  gasolene  each  night.  The  structure 
is  completely  isolated  from  the  other  buildings,  and  here 
at  the  close  of  work  all  gasolene  is  brought. 

At  the  same  plant  the  air  oil  house  is  placed  next  to 
the  boiler  room  with  a  direct  steam  pipe  connection 
through  the  dividing  wall.  If  a  fire  should  break  out 
in  the  oil  room  the  turn  of  a  valve  in  the  boiler  room 
fills  the  oil  room  with  live  steam.  A  perforated  pipe 
at  the  roof  does  the  work.  No  fire  can  live  in  live  steam. 

Two  Guards  That  Save  Accident  Expense 

WOODWORKING  machinery  on  account  of  its  high 
speed  is  a  prolific  source  of  accident  in  the  aver- 
age plant.     "Don't  monkey  with  the  buzz  saw,"  is  one 
of  New   England's   colloquial   proverbs,   to   which   too 
many  four-fingered  men  call  attention. 

tI4 


ACCIDENT  AND  FIRE  PROTECTION      115 

A  particularly  neat  device  for  guarding  the  buzz 
planer  is  shown  in  Plate  X.  A  many-tongued  circular 
guard  covers  the  revolving  knives.  When  a  piece  of 
work  is  pushed  against  the  guard,  a  number  of  fingers 
corresponding  to  the  width  of  a  piece  retract  like  the 
claws  of  a  contented  cat,  while  the  rest  of  the  high-speed 
cutter  remains  covered,  so  that  the  workman's  fingers 
are  safe. 

Somewhat  less  automatic,  is  a  sliding  cover  with  ad- 
justing thumbscrews.  The  cover  completely  envelopes 
the  knives  when  no  work  is  being  performed.  The  cover 
is  adjusted  to  various  widths  of  work  by  sliding  it 
parallel  to  the  knife-bar  and  away  from  the  guide,  grad- 
ually uncovering  the  planer  knives. 

Economical  Hinged  Belt  Cover 

BELTS  form  a  poor  accident  risk  unless  care- 
fully shielded.  Horizontal  overhead  belting  is  in 
general  safely  out  of  the  way,  although  the  oiler  should 
be  compelled  to  wear  tight  sleeves  and  his  jumper  tucked 
inside  his  overalls. 

But  vertical  belts  and  short  lines  of  shafting  near  the 
floor  must  be  carefully  guarded.  Railings  are  often  used 
for  this  purpose,  but  netting  or  metal  belt  covers  are 
better.  In  one  plant  where  the  saw-tooth  roof  makes 
jack  shafting  necessary  on  the  floor  the  shafting  is  com- 
pletely enclosed  by  netting  six  feet  high.  Wooden  or 
galvanized  iron  guards  form  a  suitable  means  of  pro- 
tecting running  belts,  but  these  should  be  hinged  in 
sections,  so  that  the  belting  is  easily  accessible  for  repair 
or  inspection. 

Plate  XI  shows  a  neat  and  very  efficacious  belt  guard 
tested  with  satisfaction  at  the  manufacturing  plant  of  the 
Sherwin-Williams  Company.  It  is  worth  noting  that  the 


116    EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 

photograph  also  emphasizes  another  point:  the  neces- 
sity of  inspection  of  protective  equipment,  if  the  best 
results  are  to  be  expected.  Thorough  factory  inspection, 
coupled  with  careful  analysis  of  accident  cause  and 
prevention,  will  put  an  end  to  "out-on-pay"  cases,  alto- 
gether too  prevalent  in  the  United  States. 

A  Sprinkler  System  That  Will  Not  Freeze 

STORED  lumber  necessarily  forms  an  unusual  fire 
risk  in  the  factory,  and,  since  lumber  is  usually 
stored  open  to  the  weather  or  at  best  in  covered  sheds, 
the  sprinkler  system  as  ordinarily  used  would  be  liable 
to  freeze. 

One  large  woodworking  industry  has  installed  the 
dry  sprinkler  system  for  this  purpose.  In  the  dry 
sprinkler  pipes,  air  under  pressure  takes  the  place  of 
water.  The  water  is  brought  into  one  end  of  the  lum- 
ber shed,  and  there  in  a  small  steam-heated  compart- 
ment is  located  a  special  air  and  water  valve.  The  com- 
pressed air  in  the  pipes  balances  the  water  pressure  on 
the  other  side  of  the  valve.  When  a  sprinkler  blows,  the 
air  pressure  falls  and  water  fills  the  system. 

Another  sprinkler  scheme  used  in  a  machine  shop  built 
of  non-combustible  materials,  protects  the  bases  of  the 
steel  roof  supporting  columns  should  any  inflammable 
material  be  piled  at  the  bottom  of  the  posts.  Around 
each  steel  post,  about  fifteen  feet  from  the  floor,  is  ar- 
ranged a  "crown"  of  sprinkler  heads.  These  in  case  of 
fire  discharge  directly  at  the  base  of  the  posts. 

Furniture  That  Prevents  Fire  Loss 

NON-COMBUSTIBLE  equipment  for  factory  offices 
reduces  the  fire  risk  and  consequently  the  insur- 
ance rate.    Steel  lockers,  desks,  filing  cabinets  and  tables 


ACCIDENT  AND  FIRE  PROTECTION      117 

are  now  available  and  should  be  installed,  if  the  ideal 
of  reducing  fire  risk  is  to  be  reached. 

The  modern  sanitary  desk  even  in  wood  is  a  step  in 
the  right  direction,  since  it  uncovers  one  more  spot  where 
rubbish  might  accumulate.  One  of  the  largest  electrical 
concerns  in  the  world  is  rapidly  replacing  all  its  wood 
equipment  with  steel  or  fireproof  wood  furniture.  It 
is  really  an  illogical  state  of  affairs  to  build  a  cement 
steel  building  with  metal  window  frames,  wire-glass 
windows  and  cement  floors  and  then  fill  it  with  wooden 
furniture,  waste  baskets,  lockers  and  wooden  office  par- 
titions. Such  a  building  makes  a  good  stove. 

Organizing  Against  Fires 

NO  matter  how  thorough  the  equipment,  apparatus 
for  fighting  fire  in  the  factory  works  at  low  effi- 
ciency, unless  there  be  organization.  Even  a  less  com- 
plete fire  protective  equipment,  if  complemented  by  a 
responsible  routine  in  cases  of  emergency,  will  be  more 
reliable  than  the  elaborate  apparatus. 

Fire  organization  at  the  works  of  the  Western  Elec- 
tric Company  is  excellent.  Two  sets  of  men  make  up 
the  force,  night  watchmen  and  volunteer  firemen.  The 
night  patrol  service  boxes  are  connected  with  the  system 
of  the  American  District  Telegraph  Company,  so  that 
if  a  watchman  misses  a  beat,  or  fails  to  ring  in  at 
regular  intervals,  this  fact  is  known  at  once  at  the 
office  of  the  telegraph  company,  which  telephones  on  a 
special  wire  to  the  factory  watch  headquarters. 

In  dividing  the  work  6f  this  night  patrol  five  men 
watch  from  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  until  12  midnight, 
and  five  other  men  from  midnight  until  7  in  the  morn- 
ing. One  man  relieves  and  one  man  is  off  duty  every 
two  weeks  with  full  pay. 


118    EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 

The  members  of  the  fire  brigade  who  serve  during 
working  hours  are  made  up  of  volunteers  of  the  shipping 
department  in  the  various  buildings.  Men  in  these 
departments  are  chosen  since  their  absence  will  inter- 
fere least  with  the  regular  factory  work.  The  brigade 
is  divided  into  three  sections  and  made  up  of  fifteen 
men,  with  a  captain  and  two  lieutenants.  Each  section 
includes  either  the  captain  or  one  of  the  lieutenants. 
For  duty  in  the  fire  houses  on  Saturday  afternoons  and 
Sundays,  four  men  out  of  the  brigade  are  picked. 

This  brigade  is  drilled  once  a  week,  generally  by 
pulling  a  box,  or  by  testing  some  of  the  fire  apparatus. 
One  of  the  unique  features  of  the  equipment  for  getting 
men  on  the  ground  quickly  is  a  hand-car,  which  stands 
ready  on  a  track  behind  the  fire  department  headquar- 
ters. On  this  car,  men  can  get  to  the  lumber  yards  at 
the  opposite  side  of  the  plant  in  quick  time  without 
tiring  themselves  unnecessarily.  Besides  the  regulars, 
certain  members  of  the  works'  staff  answer  alarms. 

Strict  routine  is  laid  out  to  be  followed  in  case  of 
fire.  Every  foreman  in  the  plant  has  a  set  of  instruc- 
tions which  cover  the  detail  of  fire  protection  apparatus 
in  his  department.  The  entire  plant  is  inspected  every 
two  weeks  by  the  building  inspector.  The  insurance  in- 
spector, a  technically  trained  man,  also  goes  through  the 
plant  at  regular  intervals.  Both  look  for  causes  and 
suggest  remedies. 

Inexpensive  Shield  for  Set  Screws 

RULES  regarding  safety 'are  strict  in  many  shops. 
In  one  factory  when  a  workman  finds  his  machine 
out  of  order,  he  is  not  allowed  to  touch  it  until  it  has 
been  inspected  by  the  foreman  and  his  permission  ob- 
tained to  run  the  tool.     The  company  believes  that  the 


ACCIDENT  AND  FIEE  PROTECTION      119 


_  _l 

1  > 


BELT  LACING 

PROTECTED  COLLAR 


Figure  I:     By  lacing  a  bit  of  belting  around  projecting  set  screws  The  Lidgerwood 
Company  prevents  accidents 

time  lost  in  following  out  this  routine  is  more  than 
made  up  by  saving  of  money  spent  for  ' '  sick  leave. ' ' 

Couplings  made  with  counter-sunk  screws  eliminate 
a  prolific  source  of  accidents,  but  a  factory  manager  need 
not  be  deterred  by  expense  from  eliminating  set  screw 
troubles.  The  illustration  shows  how  a  bit  of  belting 
can  be  laced  about  a  projecting  set  screw  so  that  it  can 
not  catch  in  a  man 's  clothing. 

An  Emergency  Engine  Stop 

IT 'S  a  long  way  from  the  third  floor  of  a  machine  shop 
to  the  engine-room  when  a  man's  life  depends  on 
stopping  the  line  shaft.    Even  the  telephone  takes  time. 
At  the  plant  of  the  A.   S.   Cameron  Steam  Pump 
Works,  the  turn  of  a  switch  shuts  down  the  factory. 


120    EQUIPPING  FOR  MAXIMUM  PRODUCT 

Placed  with  its  red  letter  sign  in  a  conspicuous  location, 
the  electric  signal  button  makes  a  most  effective  acci- 
dent alarm.  Nor  has  it  been  found  essential  in  case  of 
accident  alone.  The  usefulness  of  the  system  is  more 
frequently  proved  when  repairs  are  being  made  on  the 
transmission  machinery. 

No  need,  then,  to  lose  time  in  journeying  back  and 
forth  between  the  department  and  the  engine-room  when 
a  belt  breaks.  One  ring  means  stop,  two  rings  start  the 
engine  slowly,  and  if  the  belt  runs  in  good  shape,  three 
rings  in  the  power  house  send  the  engine  at  full  speed. 
In  some  shops  an  annunciator  is  added  to  the  engine- 
room  gong  so  that  the  engineer  can  tell  at  a  glance  in 
just  what  department  the  trouble  is  located. 


Science  in  Using  Time 

TO  the  primitive  savage,  time  is  of 
no  importance.  With  the  progress 
of  civilization,  however,  it  steadily  in- 
creases in  value.  As  one  desires  more, 
he  must  produce  more.  Yet  time  is 
fixed.  Production  must  therefore  be 
more  rapid. 

So  time  has  multiplied  in  value,  be- 
cause it  stands  for  amazingly  greater 
results.  To  the  business  man  most  of 
all,  time  has  become  a  huge  asset — his 
first  item  of  capital.  The  wise  exe- 
cutive invests  his  minutes  where  they 
will  bring  the  greatest  results — in  work- 
ing efficiency,  in  quantity  and  quality 
of  output. 


Part  IV 


MAKING   THE   BUILDING 
HELP    PAY    PROFITS 

Build  to  Fit  Business 

STOP  the  little  leaks.  Take  a  look  around  your 
plant  tomorrow  with  an  eye  for  the  little  mistakes 
in  building  that  are  costing  you  cash  each  day — the 
little  monuments  to  careless  construction  that  let  profits 
dribble  into  loss.  No  plant  was  ever  so  perfectly  built 
that  daily  scrutiny  will  not  reveal  new  opportunities  to 
improve. 

Changing  conditions  in  your  work  make  the  old  ac- 
commodations obsolete.  Be  alert  to  the  demands  of 
circumstance.  Building  to  fit  your  business  means 
greater  efficiency,  greater  returns. 

Your  factory  may  be  old — don't  let  that  tie  you  down. 
A  few  dollars  for  lumber  and  a  day's  time  will  put  a 
mezzanine  floor  for  cases  in  the  packing  room  and  cut 
trucking  expense  in  half. 

Wire  glass  windows  in  the  grinding  room  save  bills  for 
plain  glass  broken  by  flying  knives  and  add  to  the 
shop's  appearance. 

These  are  but  two  out  of  a  thousand  schemes.  Look 
for  just  such  chances  to  pick  up  straying  profits  in  your 
own  plant.  Keep  your  factory  up-to-date — it  pays. 


CHAPTER  XII 
Building  Plans  That  Save  Money 

THE  newspapers  not  long  ago  told  the  story  of  a 
young  man  who  built  a  steam  launch  in  his  room  at 
the  boarding  house.  After  getting  the  craft  finished, 
he  discovered  that  he  couldn't  get  it  out  by  doors  or 
windows.  His  landlady  refused  to  let  him  tear  down  a 
part  of  the  wall  and  instituted  legal  proceedings  because 
the  weight  of  the  boat  endangered  her  house. 

This  unwise  boat-builder  was  in  the  predicament  of  a 
good  many  factory  managers  who  fail  to  plan  ahead. 
The  time  to  decide  on  the  location  of  departments  is 
before  the  factory  is  built.  The  power  house  in  these 
days  of  electrical  power  should  be  centralized  with 
respect  to  the  other  departments  so  that  the  transmis- 
sion lines  will  be  short.  If  water  or  steam  power  and 
line  shafting  is  employed  an  effort  should  be  made  to 
have  the  buildings,  necessarily  parallel  or  at  right  angles 
to  each  other  under  these  conditions,  logically  arranged 
with  respect  to  production.  Don't  forget  that  the 
straighter  the  lines  of  production  the  more  efficient  to 
the  shop.  The  factory  cost  of  your  product  often  tells 
a  story  of  an  unappreciated  waste. 

A  cost  expert  recently  put  his  system  into  a  rubber 
mill.  The  plant  was  electrically  driven,  with  the  de- 


BUILDINGS  THAT  SAVE  MONEY          123 

partinents  grouped  about  the  power  house,  each  depart- 
ment with  its  separate  stores  of  raw  materials.  A  great 
deal  of  time  was  wasted  in  handling  these  materials  ana 
the  scattered  stores  were  harder  to  keep  tab  on.  The 
power  plant  was  moved  to  the  rear  center  of  the  plant 
and  all  the  raw  stores  were  assembled  in  a  big  central 
storehouse  located  in  place  of  the  old  power  house.  The 
change  was  simple  and  easily  made,  goods  were  received, 
disbursed  and  checked  accurately  and  the  entire  course 
of  production  untangled  to  a  remarkable  degree. 

One  of  the  largest  electrical  concerns  in  the  country 
is  reputed  to  pay  a  man  $50,000  a  year  to  look  over  the 
plants,  re-arrange  them  and  cut  down  losses  due  to  ill- 
made  initial  plans.  It  pays  to  think  ahead,  when  profit 
and  loss  may  turn  on  the  location  of  a  wall  or  door. 

Putting  up  a  Plant  in  a  Hurry 

ON  June  25th,  1907,  the  plant  of  the  Utica  Drop 
Forge  Company  was  entirely  destroyed  by  fire. 
Eight  months  later  a  new  factory  was  put  in  operation. 
Some  novel  methods  of  construction  were  adopted  by 
H.  W.  Kelleman,  the  superintendent,  to  build  the  plant 
quickly. 

When  the  plant  burned,  the  employees  were  given  the 
opportunity  to  remain  at  their  old  wages — and  rebuild 
the  shop.  Practically  all  the  men  at  once  elected  to  do 
this,  and  the  second  day  after  the  fire  they  were  set  at 
work  clearing  up  the  ruins. 

To  get  the  outside  work  done  and  the  machinery  under 
cover  before  fall,  the  most  easily  obtainable  material  and 
that  which  could  be  erected  the  quickest  was  selected. 
Wood  framing,  side  walls  and  roof,  and  wrought  iron 
oipe  supporting  columns  make  up  the  structure.  Con- 
crete foundations  are  used  and  the  wooden  side  walls 


124       MAKING  BUILDINGS  PAY  PROFITS 

are  so  constructed  that  they  can  be  replaced  by  concrete 
or  brick  later  without  interrupting  in  any  measure  the 
regular  routine  of  the  factory. 

Although  the  roof  and  partitions  are  of  wood,  they  are 
well  protected  by  the  sprinkler  system.  Moreover,  the 
floors  are  of  concrete,  and  the  forge  department  is  iso- 
lated from  the  rest  of  the  building  by  a  concrete  wall,  so 
that  excellent  insurance  rates  have  been  obtained. 

Making  the  Most  of  Floor  Space 

TO  MAKE  the  most  of  floor  space  in  a  plant  the 
machines  must  be  studied  as  a  combination  of  pro- 
ducing units.  Only  by  relating  each  machine  with  the 
others  in  such  a  way  that  production  will  follow  in 
straight  lines  without  confusion,  can  the  highest  econ- 
omy of  operation  be  attained. 


Figure  I:   In  this  machine  shop  of  the  Mueller  Machine  Tool..  Company,    floorspace 


BUILDINGS  THAT  SAVE  MONEY          125 

If  it  seems  best  to  build  but  one  crane  run-way,  the 
heavier  machine  tools  should  be  so  placed,  not  only  that 
the  work  can  be  turned  out  systematically,  but  that  ad- 
vantage can  be  taken  of  the  crane  in  handling  heavy 
parts  at  the  machines. 

Economy  in  construction  argues  for  special  machine 
foundations  in  as  centralized  a  location  as  possible.  A 
balance  must  be  struck  between  the  expense  of  special 
foundations  at  odd  points  and  stretching  the  line  of 
production  a  little  in  order  to  place  the  machines  in 
the  heavy  foundation  area. 

Shafting  arrangement  also  enters  into  the  question 
of  economical  arrangement.  Considered  in  time,  the 
height  of  the  shop  roof  may  be  gauged  so  that  belt 
lengths  to  machine  tools  will  be  correct  and  adjust- 
ment of  countershafting  unnecessary.  All  these  points 


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126        MAKING  BUILDINGS  PAY  PROFITS 

planned  ahead  mean  a  saving  in  dollars  and  cents  when 
construction  begins. 

In  the  shop  floor  plan  shown  in  Figure  I,  all 
these  points  have  been  considered,  as  well  as  many 
others.  A  thoughtful  consideration  of  this  sketch  will  bring 
out  clearly  the  advantages  of  orderly  arrangement. 

Raw  material  is  unloaded  in  the  basement  by  a  crane  and 
reaches  the  machine  shop  floor  by  way  of  the  elevator. 

At  this  point  the  construction  work  on  the  parts  is 
divided;  the  lighter  parts  travel  down  the  length  of  the 
shop,  and  the  various  operations  are  performed  on  the 
lathes.  Cutting  off  and  centering  machines  are  located 
near  the  starting  point.  The  heavier  portions  of  the 
product  are  machined  on  the  erecting  side  of  the  machine 
shop  where  heavy  lathes  and  planers  are  set  on  concrete 
foundations. 

This  row  of  heavy  tools  is  also  placed  near  enough  to 
the  erecting  side  of  the  shop  so  that  the  same  traveling 
cranes  serve  both  the  erecting  floor  and  the  heavy  tools. 
The  shop  is  driven  by  a  forty  horsepower  motor,  chain - 
connected  to  the  line-shaft,  which  is  divided  into  three 
sections  by  clutches.  In  this  way  it  is  possible  to  run  a 
short  length  of  shafting  without  running  all  three.  The 
motor  in  the  middle  of  the  long  line- shaft  also  divides 
the  strain  so  that  a  lighter  construction  is  possible. 

Profits  from  Cement  Construction 

/CEMENT  is  extremely  useful  building  material  for 
^^the  factory.  Monolithic,  brick-sheathed  and  cement 
block  buildings  are  all  suitable  for  manufacturing. 
The  General  Electric  Company  recently  erected  a  new 
factory  office  building  between  two  older  brick  struc- 
tures. The  shell  of  this  new  building  was  constructed 
of  cement  and  a  single  course  of  brick  overlaid,  to  match 


BUILDINGS  THAT  SAVE  MONEY  127 


Plate  XV:  To  save  coal  in  winter  the  shipping  platform  is  built  inside  the  building 
that  a  sliding  steel  curtain  will  enclose  it.     (See  chapter  XIII) 


128        MAKING  BUILDINGS  PAY  PROFITS 


HINGED  NUMBERED  DOORS 


FROM  GRINDING  ROOM 


I 


i 


Plate  XVI:  This  arrangement  of  cupboards  for  the  inspection  department  at  the  North- 
ampton Cutlery  Company's  plant  systematizes  the  handling  of  the  grinders' 
iobs  and  frees  the  inspectors  from  interruption  by  the  work- 
men at  all  times  of  the  day     (See  chapter  XIII) 


BUILDINGS  THAT  SAVE  MONEY          129 

the  trimmings  and  general  exterior  of  the  earlier  con- 
struction. The  effect  is  excellent. 

At  the  foundry  of  the  II.  W.  Caldwell  &  Sons'  plant 
in  Chicago,  a  molding  gallery  has  been  built  in  the  foun- 
dry. A  thick  cement  floor  has  been  found  very  satis- 
factory. 

In  addition  to  its  uses  in  the  buildings,  proper  cement 
is  being  used  to  good  purpose  for  many  details  of  con- 
struction. Industrial  railway  tracks  embedded  in  ce- 
ment concrete  stay  put.  Heavy  machine  tools  are  proof 
against  vibration  on  cement  foundations.  Either  anchor 
bolts  are  set  into  the  cement  to  hold  the  machine  or  the 
weight  of  the  bed  suffices.  In  a  railroad  shop  the 
motors  are  supported  on  cement  concrete  platforms, 
swung  from  beneath  the  galleries  on  structural  steel 
framework.  This  makes  an  enduring  construction  and 
does  away  with  the  wooden  flooring  generally  used  for 
the  purpose. 

The  Grand  Rapids  Hand  Screw  Company  have  found 
cement  useful  in  a  variety  of  ways.  Lumber  costs  money 
nowadays,  and  all  that  can  be  saved  is  worth  while.  In 
piling  lumber  at  this  plant,  parallel  cement  supports 
have  been  laid  at  right  angles  to  the  freight  tracks.  On 
these,  lumber  is  stacked  to  dry  in  the  usual  way.  The 
boards  ordinarily  lying  on  the  ground  are  saved  and  the 
permanency  of  the  construction  facilitates  the  handling 
of  the  incoming  stock. 

Penny  Regulations  That  Save  Dollars 

IN  a  big  plant,  building  inspection  is  just  as  important 
as  in  a  city.     It  probably  saves  proportionately  more 
dollars  than  any  other  equal  expenditure  of  costs. 

Rules  as  to  floor  and  wall  loads,  fire  protection  and 
building-  administration  in  the  Western  Electric  factory 


130        MAKING  BUILDINGS  PAY  PROFITS 

are  so  thorough  and  well  defined  as  to  amount  almost  to 
a  science  in  themselves. 

If  a  workman  leaves  his  overalls  rolled  in  an  oily 
bundle  under  the  bench  in  one  of  the  big  manufactories, 
the  watchman  has  orders  to  destroy  them.  In  the  same 
plant  the  safe  load  for  the  floor  is  painted  on  the  wall 
just  inside  the  door.  A  building  inspector  is  responsible 
for  the  enforcement  of  the  regulation. 

Out  in  the  shops,  white  lines  on  the  floors  mark  out 
the  aisles  so  that  the  crane  man  in  handling  material 
and  parts  with  the  big  electric  cranes  will  not  block  a 
passage  through  the  departments. 

To  insure  the  carrying  out  of  the  rules,  strict  obedi- 
ence is  demanded.  If  a  watchman  finds  the  gas  burn- 
ing or  a  can  of  benzine  in  the  factory,  his  report  goes 
direct  to  the  superintendent. 

To  guard  against  fire,  only  safety  matches  supplied 
by  the  company  can  be  used. 


Team    Work 

E  AM  work,  cooperation,  these  words 
are  what  count  in  football  or  the 
manufacturing  game.  To  have  every 
workman  intent  on  his  job,  to  have 
each  foreman  interested  in  pushing  his 
end  of  production,  to  have  every  de- 
partment head  working  in  a  common 
cause  without  rivalry,  these  insure  ideal 
conditions  for  the  economic  use  of  time 
and  materials  which  makes  the  factory, 
large  or  small,  a  winner  at  production. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

Building  Equipment  That  Increases 
Output 

THE  secretary  of  a  woodworking  plant  in  Grand  Rap- 
ids had  a  unique  experience  in  connection  with  build- 
ing his  new  factory.  Riding  home  one  night  he  over- 
heard this  dialog  between  one  of  his  own  workmen  and 
an  employee  of  a  prominent  concern  located  in  the  next 
block. 

" Where  are  you  working  now?"  asked  the  manager's 
workman. 

"Neighbor  of  yours,'*  said  his  seat  mate;  "but  I 
don't  think  I'll  stay  long  in  the  shop." 

*  *  What 's  the  matter  ?     Don 't  you  like  your  job  ? ' ' 

"Yes;  job's  all  right,  but  I  don't  like  the  shop.  I've 
lived  in  the  country  and  I  like  to  see  the  grass  and 
trees.  I  feel  as  though  I  were  in  a  prison  with  those 
ribbed  glass  windows.  I  wouldn't  lose  any  time  looking 
at  the  scenery,  but  it  makes  working  worth  while.  I'm 
going  to  quit  next  week." 

To  give  a  well  diffused  light,  ribbed  glass  is  often 
used  in  factories  and  this  had  been  the  secretary's  idea. 
After  overhearing  this  conversation,  however,  he  changed 
his  plans — the  upper  sashes  are  glazed  with  ribbed  glass, 
but  the  lower  sashes  are  cleai. 


132        MAKING  BUILDINGS  PAY  PROFITS 

"Good  workmen  are  not  too  numerous  in  this  town, 
and  if  the  window  construction  will  help  me  to  keep  my 
men,  1*11  build  the  windows  accordingly." 

In  the  same  factory  the  window  sills  are  laid  in  cement 
instead  of  showing  an  unfinished  brick  surface.  In  his 
old  shop,  the  manager  had  noticed  that  moisture,  trick- 
ling down  the  panes,  settled  in  the  upper  courses  of  brick 
and  rotted  the  lower  wooden  window  sill.  For  twenty 
cents  additional  per  window,  the  contractor  laid  the  last 
course  of  bricks  in  cement  and  coated  the  sill  foundation 
with  the  same  material.  This  not  only  made  a  smooth 
and  workmanlike  job,  but  gave  a  waterproof  surface. 

A  Foundry  That's  a  Crystal  Palace 

FOUNDRY  lighting  and  ventilating,  on  account  of 
the  working  conditions,  are  particularly  difficult. 
The  Michigan  Stove  Company's  foundry  construction  is 
therefore  particularly  interesting.  This  foundry  was 
surrounded  by  high  buildings,  and  for  that  reason  was 
hard  to  ventilate  and  light. 

As  shown  in  Plate  XIII,  steel  and  glass  are  the  prin- 
cipal materials  of  construction.  The  main  structure  is 
of  steel  resting  on  a  six-foot  brick  wall.  The  building  is 
square,  128  feet  on  a  side,  is  fifty  feet  high  to  the  top  of 
the  monitors  and  forty  feet  from  the  floor  to  the  high- 
est point  of  the  roof  proper.  The  side  walls  are  thirty 
feet  high  with  girders  spaced  sixteen  feet  between 
centers. 

Before  working  out  the  details  of  the  window  con- 
struction a  small  model  was  constructed  and  the  moni- 
tors finally  built  were  the  result  of  careful  study.  Three 
parallel  monitors  were  built,  arranged  crosswise  on  the 
roof.  Every  second  window  in  the  monitors  is  arranged 
to  be  opened.  All  the  other  windows  in  the  building 


EQUIPMENT  THAT  INCREASES  OUTPUT     133 

are  stationary  except  the  lower  row  just  over  the  foun- 
dation wall.     These  are  all  pivoted  to  swing  open. 

So  satisfactorily  does  this  window  construction  venti- 
late the  building  that  fifteen  minutes  after  the  heat  is 
off,  the  air  in  the  foundry  is  clear. 

Twenty-eight  PerjCent  in  Storing^Coal 

UNCERTAIN  coal  supply,  due  to  strikes,  lack  of  cars 
and  other  conditions  beyond  the  manufacturer's 
control,  make  the  problem  of  coal  storage  a  vital  one.  At 
the  Hawthorne  Works  of  the  Western  Electric  Company, 
the  problem  has  been  solved  by  storing  coal  under  water. 
Two  underground  cement  lined  storage  bins,  one  of  4,000 
and  the  other  of  10,000  tons  capacity,  have  been  built. 
These  pits  are  open  at  the  top  and  are  bridged  by  full 
gauge,  parallel  railways,  as  shown  in  Plate  XIV. 

Coal  is  either  dumped  directly  into  the  pits  from 
gondola  cars  or  unloaded  by  a  grab  bucket  crane, 
mounted  on  a  car  and  drawn  by  a  locomotive. 

When  coal  is  required  in  the  power  house,  it  is  loaded 
by  the  same  crane  into  dump  cars  and  hauled  on  an 
elevated  railroad  to  the  bunkers  over  the  boiler  house. 
The  coal  in  the  pits  is  entirely  covered  by  the  water,  and 
by  keeping  the  bins  flooded  the  company  expects  to 
reduce  the  losses  in  stored  coal  from  30  per  cent  to  2  per 
cent. 

Giving  the  Workmen  Good  Light 

SAW-TOOTH  roofs  furnish  excellent  lighting  for 
single  story  buildings  and  for  the  top  floors  of  multi- 
story buildings.  Like  all  exposed  areas,  however,  some 
difficulties  are  present  with  this  type  of  roof.  There  is 
considerable  trouble  due  to  leakage,  and  in  hot  weather 
the  " greenhouse"  nature  of  the  construction  is  liable 


134        MAKING  BUILDINGS  PAY  PROFITS 

to  make  the  floor  below  unduly  warm  unless  ventilation 
is  carefully  provided  for. 

The  arrangement  for  heating  and  ventilating  the 
buildings  of  the  Utica  Drop  Forge  and  Tool  Company's 
plant  has  been  successful  in  conjunction  with  the  saw- 
tooth roof  type  of  construction.  All  windows  on  the 
side  of  the  building  are  arranged  to  open;  the  roof 
windows  are  permanently  closed  except  in  the  forge  de- 
partment. Thirty-six  thirty-inch  ventilators  are 
mounted  on  the  roof  of  the  plant,  which  is  300  feet 
long  and  136  feet  wide.  These  can  be  opened  in  summer 
and  closed  in  winter.  The  ventilators  in  the  forge  de- 
partment are  fitted  with  smoke  flues  which  terminate  in 
hoods  directly  over  the  forge  and  operator.  An  opening 
in  the  upper  part  of  each  flue  allows  the  heat  and  gases 
in  the  upper  part  of  the  room  to  escape. 

Troubles  due  to  saw-tooth  roof  leakage  have  been 
remedied  in  the  plant  of  the  Farr  Alpaca  Company's 
Holyoke,  Massachusetts,  plant,  by  an  especially  thorough 
arrangement  of  drainage  gutters  and  drip  downtakes. 

The  details  of  construction  are  shown  in  Figure  I. 
Each  tooth  in  the  roof  is  supported  so  that  it  pitches 
properly  from  the  high  points  to  copper  bowls  from 
which  the  water  is  taken.  Water  of  condensation  is 
caught  by  a  small  copper  gutter  connected  to  the  roof 
down-takes  by  small  lead  pipes.  The  water  in  the 
trough  outside  is  carried  in  gutters  of  special  construc- 
tion, which  is  made  clear  by  the  illustration. 

To  make  the  trough  tight,  unusual  precautions  are 
taken.  A  sheet  iron  gutter  is  laid  over  asbestos  one- 
sixteenth  of  an  inch  thick.  This  lay  of  asbestos  and 
sheet  iron  covers  the  bottom  of  the  trough  between  the 
glazed  side  of  one  tooth  and  the  wood-roofed  side  of  the 
next  tooth,  extending  up  to  within  three  inches  of  the 


EQUIPMENT  THAT  INCREASES  OUTPUT  135 


LEAK  PROOF 

SAW  TOOTH  ROOF 

CONSTRUCTION 


Figure  I:  The  construction  of  a  leak-proof,  saw-tooth  roof  in  an  alpaca  factory  is 

here  shown 

glass  on  one  side  and  for  two  feet  on  the  roof  opposite. 
The  galvanized  iron  makes  the  roof  firm  to  walk  on  and 
covers  all  defects  in  the  planking,  while  the  asbestos 
prevents  moist  air  in  the  room  below  from  condensing  on 
the  iron  and  dripping  back  into  the  room.  A  regular 
roofing  material  of  five-ply  asphalt  is  then  laid  in  pitch 
over  the  whole. 


136        MAKING  BUILDINGS  PAY  PROFITS 


For  carrying  away  the  water,  copper  bowls  are  set 
into  the  roof,  each  connected  by  a  copper  pipe  to  the 
sewer  system  in  the  basement.  The  down-take  support- 
ing column  is  made  of  channel  iron.  To  protect  this 
down-take  pipe  a  galvanized  iron  shield  is  fitted  over  the 
copper  pipe. 

How  Sewage  is  Economically  Disposed  of 

WHEN  the  factory  is  located  apart  from  a  regular 
sewer  system,  the  question  of  sewage  disposal  is 
often  a  difficult  one  to  answer.  Even  if  the  plant  is 
located  on  a  river  the  pollution  of  the  stream  must 
always  be  guarded  against  and  solids  cannot  be  drained 
into  the  creek  without  bringing  about  bad  sanitary  con- 
ditions. Moreover,  this  course  is  rapidly  being  out- 
lawed by  the  various  state  legislatures. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  septic  tank  can  often 
be  adopted  to  advantage.  Such  a  system  has  proved  suc- 
cessful in  a  railroad  repair  shop.  The  tank  is  shown 
in  the  accompanying  diagram.  The  closets  and  wash 


TTLgaap, n__«<.2™A!<!S ^BB&- 

s-i  rn  n 

FROSTS         1        H         1  I     !  ''•'          *''] 


SEWAGE  INLET 

H 

t] 

"^~I  —  ZZT_ 

3 

. 

*.i 

I 

Figure  II:  A  septic  sewage  tank  for  taking  care  of  the  sewage  from  an  isolated  factor 


EQUIPMENT  THAT  INCREASES  OUTPUT     137 

basins  are  located  on  the  second  floor  of  the  shops  and 
are  piped  to  a  cement  reservoir  set  in  the  ground  below 
frost  line.  The  tank  is  divided  into  compartments  as 
indicated.  When  the  sewage  is  trapped  in  the  various 
chambers,  a  bacteriological  action  takes  place  so  that  the 
effluent  from  the  end  opposite  the  entering  sewage  is 
practically  clear  water.  Periodically,  at  long  intervals, 
the  solid  matter  left  in  the  chambers  can  be  taken  out 
through  the  manholes. 

The  outlet  pipe  from  the  tank  is  connected  with  a 
regular  surface  sewer  which  carries  the  drainage  from 
the  buildings.  This  surface  sewer  discharges  into  a 
piece  of  waste  land  near  the  plant.  So  well  does  the 
septic  tank  do  its  work  that  there  is  no  trouble  of  any 
kind  at  the  plant.  A  septic  tank  is  built  for  each  de- 
partment and  all  discharge  into  the  common  surface 
sewer  which  carries  away  the  roof  and  ground  drainage. 

A  Money  Saving  Shipping  Platform 

ADVERSE  weather  conditions  often  interfere  with 
shipments  in  the  factory.  To  handle  heavy  machinery 
with  the  least  effort  it  is  customary  to  have  the  shipping 
platforms  of  such  height  that  trucks  can  be  backed  di- 
rectly against  the  structure,  so  that  the  loading  can  be 
accomplished  without  lifting  considerable  loads  unneces- 
sarily. Generally  this  requirement,  however,  neces- 
sitates an  open  shipping  platform  exposed  to  the  weather, 
and  not  only  do  the  shippers  work  at  a  disadvantage  in 
the  cold  or  wet,  but  a  good  deal  of  steam  is  wasted  in  the 
endeavor  to  heat  the  shipping  room  when  the  doors  are 
open. 

In  large  plants,  special  covered  shipping  floors  are,  of 
course,  possible;  but  in  the  small  plant,  rather  than  go 
to  the  expense  of  building  a  covered  addition,  shipments 


138        MAKING  BUILDINGS  PAY  PROFITS 

are  made  in  bad  weather  from  an  open  platform  under 
adverse  conditions. 

In  the  new  machine  shops  of  the  Mueller  Machine 
Tool  Company  this  difficulty  has  been  overcome  by  mak- 
ing the  shipping  platform  contiguous  to  and  under  the 
same  roof  with  the  assembling  floor.  From  the  drive- 
way outside  the  shop,  the  wagons  are  backed  into  the 
building  through  a  twelve-foot  doorway  provided  with 
a  sliding  steel  curtain.  (See  Plate  XV.) 

When  the  weather  is  inclement  this  doorway  can  be 
closed  and  shipments  made  under  good  working  con- 
ditions. The  floor  of  the  driveway  within  the  building 
is  three  feet  lower  than  the  assembling  floor  so  that  the 
bed  of  the  truck  comes  about  flush  with  the  erecting  floor 
and  the  goods  can  be  transferred  to  the  wagon  without 
trouble. 

This  enclosed  shipping  platform  is  about  twenty-five 
feet  long  and  twelve  feet  wide.  Owing  to  the  design  of 
the  building  but  a  small  part  of  the  length  encroaches 
on  usable  floor  space  in  the  erecting  room.  The  greater 
part  of  the  length  parallels  the  partition  wall  of  the 
factory  offices  which  are  under  the  same  roof. 

Built  in  this  way,  too,  the  cranes  which  serve  the 
erecting  floor  can  be  used  advantageously  in  handling 
the  outgoing  product.  This  design  saves  the  expense  of 
continuing  the  crane  runway  to  the  outside  of  the  build- 
ing over  an  exposed  shipping  platform. 

The  floor  of  the  driveway  is  laid  in  vitrified  brick  and 
drains  towards  the  center  and  towards  the  street.  A 
steam  radiator  placed  on  the  outside  wall  ledge  helps 
keep  an  equable  temperature  in  the  shipping  room.  The 
entire  scheme  is  a  simple,  but  effective,  method  of  hand- 
ling goods  quickly  in  bad  weather  without  causing  in- 
convenience to  the  men  on  the  erecting  floor. 


EQUIPMENT  THAT  INCREASES  OUTPUT     139 

In  the  city,  where  ground  space  is  valuable  and  the 
shipping  carried  on  in  a  crowded  thoroughfare,  such  a 
scheme  not  only  has  the  advantage  outlined,  but  has  an 
added  reason  for  consideration  in  that  the  loading  can 
be  done  without  mutual  interference  between  the  ship- 
ping and  the  public  traffic  of  the  thoroughfare. 

[[Where  Underground  Pipes  Save  Floor  Space 

IN  all  grinding  and  polishing  work  it  is  necessary  to 
provide  a  very  complete  system  of  exhaust  pipes  to 
carry  away  the  dust  and  other  particles  thrown  off  from 
the  polishing  or  grinding  wheel.  Piping  for  this  exhaust 
system  necessarily  takes  up  a  good  deal  of  space,  which 
interferes  not  only  with  the  light,  but  with  the  working 
space  about  the  polishing  machines. 

In  the  polishing  room  of  the  Fox  Typewriter  Company, 
a  very  ingenious  arrangement  has  been  worked  out, 
which  takes  that  pipe  out  of  the  way  of  the  men.  The 
emery  grinders  are  set  in  a  row  facing  the  windows  on 
the  basement  floor.  The  exhaust  piping  is  made  of  sec- 
tions of  tile  and  is  laid  underground,  and  the  hoods  from 
the  various  wheels  are  connected  direct  to  this  under- 
ground piping  by  the  usual  galvanized  iron  ducts. 

Electric  wiring  can  also  be  put  under  the  floor  to  good 
advantage.  At  the  plant  of  the  N.  P.  Pratt  Laboratory, 
Atlanta,  the  floors  are  laid  of  pine  blocks,  four  inches 
square  and  two  inches  thick,  set  on  end  on  a  four-inch 
layer  of  concrete.  The  blocks  are  laid  in  a  coal  tar 
mixture  and  the  cracks  are  filled  with  the  same  prepara- 
tion. 

The  main  electric  circuits  are  run  through  the  shop 
in  conduits.  To  wire  from  the  conduit  to  the  motor,  all 
that  needs  to  be  done  is  to  remove  a  row  of  pine  blocks 
leading  to  the  nearest  conduit  and  drill  a  hole  through 


140        MAKING  BUILDINGS  PAY  PROFITS 

the  roof  of  the  duct.  The  conduit  is  then  laid  in  the 
trench  by  removing  the  five  blocks. 

A  V-shaped  section  is  sawed  from  the  blocks  to  fit 
over  the  new  length  of  conduit,  the  blocks  are  re-set  and 
the  wires  are  then  drawn  through  the  conduit  and  con- 
nected with  the  motor. 

This  not  only  makes  a  neat  and  workmanlike  job 
but  the  machines  can  all  be  used  independently  of 
the  main  conduits. 

An  Inexpensive  Roof  Drainage  Scheme 

ROOF-GUTTERS  and  spouts  are  items  of  material 
importance  when  depreciation  charges  are  figured. 
Not  only  do  they  deteriorate  quickly,  but  leaky  gutters 
cause  much  damage  in  shops  where  the  product  is  af- 
fected by  dampness. 

This  difficulty  with  gutters  is  also  greater  in  cold 
climates  where  there  is  a  heavy  fall  of  snow.  A  thaw 
followed  by  a  hard  frost  will  put  all  the  surface  water 
piping  out  of  commission  in  short  order,  with  good 
chances  that  some  of  it  stays  out  of  fix. 

For  this  reason  one  of  the  newest  Canadian  factories 
is  built  with  an  overhanging  roof  from  which  the  water 
drips  directly  on  to  cement  "  spatter-boards "  which  are 
drained  to  the  sewers.  Over  the  shop  entrances,  deflect- 
ing gutters  are  placed. 

Shop  Floors  for  Good  Service 

IN  a  New  England  mill  is  a  form  of  floor  construc- 
tion which  has  been  used  there  for  some  twenty-five 
years.     The  engineers  there  are  especially  enthusiastic 
over  tar  concrete  sub-floors  for  factories. 

The  advantages  of  wood  flooring  for  the  lower  floor 
of  a  shop  in  comparison  with  any  other  flooring,  especi- 


EQUIPMENT  THAT  INCREASES  OUTPUT     141 

ally  where  men  have  to  stand  at  their  work,  are  too  well 
recognized  to  require  discussion.  The  wooden  floor, 
moreover,  permits  great  flexibility  in  changing  the  posi- 
tion of  machines  for  which  special  foundations  are  not 
necessary.  A  wooden  floor,  of  the  ordinary  con- 
struction, however,  involves  some  fire  risk  and  is 
liable  to  decay,  especially  when  laid  close  to  the 
damp  ground.  By  placing  a  sub-floor  of  tar  and 
crushed  stone  beneath  the  wooden  floor,  the  resulting 
construction  not  only  costs  less  than  piers  and  head 
timbers  with  the  excavation  necessary  to  keep  the  re- 
quired air  space  beneath  a  wooden  floor,  but  also  makes 
possible  a  fire-proof  construction  and  gives  an  abso- 
lutely rigid  floor  for  the  shop. 

Such  a  floor  is  built  up  in  four  layers  similar  to  those 
shown  in  Figure  III.  The  first  or  foundation  layer 
consists  of  crushed  stone,  screened  gravel  or  cinders 
mixed  with  enough  tar  so  that  it  will  compact  properly 
under  a  roller  or  maul  in  a  form  to  receive  the  second 
coat.  If  the  ground  is  soft  and  additional  strength  is 
required,  a  foundation  of  cement  concrete  is  desirable. 


Figure  Til:  Four  layers  built  up  as  shown  insure  a  moisture-proof,  permanent  shop  floor 


142        MAKING  BUILDINGS  PAY  PROFITS 

The  second  layer  consists  of  fine  sand  or  other  material 
mixed  with  enough  heavy  refined  tar  or  soft  pitch  to 
coat  each  grain  of  sand  thoroughly  and  to  fill  all  voids. 
If  the  voids  are  not  all  filled  properly,  moisture  from 
the  ground  will  reach  the  planks  and  cause  decay. 

Decay  is,  of  course,  the  principal  danger  to  be  guarded 
against  in  placing  the  third  layer.  The  plank  must  be 
thoroughly  seasoned  and  dry.  If  the  hardwood  floor  is 
laid  on  moist  planks,  the  moisture  may  cause  dry  rot. 

When  this  construction  was  first  used  it  was  thought 
necessary  to  have  stringers  or  nailing  strips  on  which  to 
lay  the  planks.  This  is  thought  now  to  be  unnecessary, 
and  planks  are  laid  directly  on  the  soft  tar  concrete, 
leveled  by  pounding  and  then  toe-nailed.  This  method 
of  construction  gives  a  floor  with  no  space  beneath  the 
plank  for  moisture  to  get  at.  When  stringers  are  laid 
directly  on  the  foundation  of  coarse  material  and  the 
space  between  them  filled  with  tar  and  sand,  there  is 
nothing  to  prevent  moisture  reaching  the  floor  from  the 
ground.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  stringers  are  laid  on 
top  of  the  tar.  and  sand,  the  air  space  beneath  the  plank 
increases  the  fire  risk.  When  electrically  driven  ma- 
chines are  used,  however,  this  latter  scheme  makes  a  neat 
method  of  wiring  up  the  machines,  as  the  conducting 
conduit  can  be  laid  between  the  stringers. 

Drying  Varnish  by  Electricity 

VARNISHED  parts  necessarily  have  to  be  prepared 
under  as  dustless  conditions  as  possible.      In  one 
plant,  cement  floors  save  refinishing;  in  another,  sheet 
iron  has  been  tacked  to  the  wooden  floor  to  prevent  the 
dust  from  flying. 

A  simple  and  effective  scheme  is  used  by  the  Fox 
Typewriter  Company  for  drying  the  varnish  on  type- 


EQUIPMENT  THAT  INCREASES  OUTPUT    143 

writer  frames.     The  high  finish  on  the  machines  makes 
necessary  most  careful  working  conditions. 

Gas  has  been  used  for  heating  the  tin-lined  store- 
rooms in  which  the  frames  are  dried,  but  trouble  has 
been  experienced  with  the  moisture  in  the  gas  which 
condenses  on  the  inside  of  the  rooms  and  on  the  parts. 
Electricity  for  heating  has  proved  very  effective.  An 
electric  radiator  is  placed  in  the  drying  oven  with  an 
indicating  switch  on  the  outside.  The  temperature  can 
be  adjusted  to  any  desired  degree.  The  heat  is  dry  and 
clear.  It  would  be  possible  to  rig  up  a  thermostat  in 
connection  with  the  electric  switch  so  that  the  tempera- 
ture could  be  maintained  automatically.  But  this  ad- 
justment of  temperature  is  performed  satisfactorily  by 
hand,  by  watching  the  thermometer  registering  the  in- 
side oven  temperature,  and  varying  the  heat  of  the 
radiator  by  the  indicating  switch  on  the  outside. 

Department  Arrangement  That  Paid 

PIECE  WORK  means  careful  inspection  and  the 
inspector  must  be  unprejudiced  in  passing  work.  In 
the  small  shop  where  all  are  acquainted,  some  natural 
difficulties  may  be  met  in  getting  judicial  inspection. 

By  a  suitable  arrangement  of  the  inspection  depart- 
ment, the  superintendent  of  a  cutlery  plant  cut  out  this 
difficulty  and  eliminated  jealousy  among  the  workmen. 

It  had  been  customary  for  the  grinders  to  bring  their 
boxes  of  work  to  the  inspection  department  and  to  learn 
who  was  to  inspect  that  particular  lot  by  talking  with 
the  inspectors. 

The  diagram  and  photograph  given  in  Plate  XVI 
show  how  the  difficulty  is  overcome.  The  inspection  room 
is  partitioned  off  from  the  hallway  by  a  wall  of  cup- 
boards with  numbered,  hinged  doors.  Boxes  for  the  work 


144        MAKING  BUILDINGS  PAY  PROFITS 

are  similarly  numbered.  When  a  man  brings  his  work 
to  be  inspected  he  slides  his  box  into  the  cupboard  of  the 
corresponding  number.  The  backs  of  the  cupboards  are 
open  and  the  inspector,  unseen  by  the  workman,  takes 
out  the  box,  carries  it  to  the  bench  and  looks  over  the 
work.  He  checks  the  job  for  damaged  pieces  and  replaces 
the  box  in  the  cupboard  where  the  workman  can  get  it 
and  make  good  any  spoiled  parts. 

The  scheme  is  simple  and  practical  and  has  worked 
out  well.  In  cases  in  which  an  understanding  might 
exist  between  workmen  and  inspector,  the  chance  for  such 
coalition  is  done  away  with.  The  workman  does  not 
know  who  inspects  his  work  and  must  rely  on  its  quality 
alone  to  pass  it. 


Personal  Contact  Pays 

I  try  to  go  through  the  shops  as  often 
as  I  can,  to  shake  hands  with  the 
men  and  talk  to  them  of  their  work.  I 
do  not  believe  an  employer  can  be  too 
familiar  with  his  men;  I  have  never 
found  that  I  endangered  discipline  so. 

I  know  all  my  superintendents,  fore-j 
men  and  office  men  intimately  and 
many  of  the  workers  in  the  §hops  are 
my  old  friends. 

My  personal  contact  with  my  em- 
ployees and  the  establishment  of  friend- 
ly relations  with  them  is  the  chief  factor 
in  the  success  of  my  business. 

Richard  T.  Crane 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


JAK121955J 


LD  21-100m-9,'48iB399sl6)476 


A  \    '4 


YB"  18366 


M    25975 


H 


